


The Delusions of Dreamers

by flabby_abby69



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:35:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 31,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27018178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flabby_abby69/pseuds/flabby_abby69
Summary: Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are sent to Mandalore to protect Duchess Satine from assassination.  They run from Old Mandalorians and bounty hunters, traveling from one dangerous planet to the next. There is no escape from the violence, and forbidden feelings start to arise between the members of the group.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze
Kudos: 25





	1. One

"Duchess Satine!" Master Qui-Gon yelled as he and Obi-Wan burst through the double doors to the throne room. And there she was. Satine Kryze sat on her throne with her nose high in the air, as if her life were not in any danger. She looked very young to be a duchess, with big blue eyes and fair skin. Thankfully, several guards were stationed around her.

"Duchess, we must leave immediately!" Qui-Gon panted, stopping a few feet before her guards. "There is to be an assassination attempt on your life! We—"

"Excuse me," the duchess said. "Who are you?" She raised a blond eyebrow.

"Forgive me, my lady. I am Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master, and this is my apprentice—"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," the young Padawan stated with a smile.

The duchess sighed. "Yes, but what gives you the authority to burst into my palace and demand that I leave my throne and my people?"

"Um..." Qui-Gon shifted from foot to foot, stroking his dark beard. Obi-Wan sensed the tension rising in the room, and he didn't like it one bit. "Well, the Jedi Council sent us to protect you, Duchess. And our spies have reported rumors of an assassination attempt—"

"You have spies on Mandalore?" Satine demanded, rising from her seat. "Do you not trust me, Jedi?"

Qui-Gon's eyes widened. "No!" he cried. "Of course the Senate and the Jedi trust you! We-"

As Obi-Wan's master tried to please the duchess, he remembered what Qui-Gon had said earlier: _Let me do all the talking, Obi-Wan. The duchess is a... difficult woman._ Obi-Wan was beginning to see that for himself, but he was going to take matters into his own hands.

"My dear Duchess Satine," Obi-Wan called, taking a step towards her. The guards stiffened. "We mean no harm. We only wish to protect you from the violence raging on Mandalore. We know you believe in peace, and we respect that. But we want you to be out of harm's way because we personally and genuinely care about your well-being. So please, I beg you, come with us, and we can help you during this time of trials."

Satine stayed silent for a moment. Then she started laughing.

_What was so funny? Had he said something wrong?_

"Quite the politician you have there, Qui-Gon." She looked Obi-Wan up and down. "You sound more like a senator... what was it? Ah, Obi-Wan." She smiled at him, but it wasn't exactly kind. He didn't really know what to think about the woman. "You make a good argument, Padawan, but I will not run from this violence. I shall smother it with peace."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that, Duchess?" Qui-Gon inquired.

"I—" Satine didn't get to finish before glass was raining down on her head.

She screamed as dozens of Old Mandalorians crashed through the stained glass windows. They started firing at her with their blasters, but Qui-Gon whipped out his green lightsaber and deflected some of the shots. Obi-Wan followed suit.

Satine's guards roared and charged at the assassins in Mandalorian armor. They swung their staffs around with skill, electrocuting some of the attackers.

"Stop this!" the Duchess cried from her platform. She was standing on her marble throne, waving her hands in the air angrily. "Stop this violence!"

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon shouted. "Get the duchess out of here! There's a speeder outside; I'll meet you there." Obi-Wan gave a firm nod and took off, deflecting a few blasts behind his back.

He pushed through a couple of guards and skidded to a stop before the duchess. He took his stance, ready to protect the young lady with his blue lightsaber. "Duchess Satine!" He yelled. "I must escort you outside!"

"No!" she argued, glaring down at him. "I am not going anywhere! My guards will protect me." Obi-Wan glanced nervously at the battle before them. The Old Mandalorians were closing in.

"Um, I'm sorry, my dear..." Then Obi-Wan grabbed the Duchess of Mandalore around her legs and slung her over his shoulder.

"Oh, my _goodness!_ " Satine huffed, pounding his back with her fists. "Put me down _this instant!_ "

"I said I was sorry!" Obi-Wan grimaced. He started running towards the right side of the throne room and wrapped his arm tightly around the Duchess. "Also, you might not like this either. Brace yourself."

"What—!" But then the Padawan had slashed at the last stained glass window with his lightsaber, and the two landed in a tangle of limbs outside of the palace.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked, hastily checking her for wounds. He tried to help her up, but she batted his hand away.

She let out a shrill laugh. "Am I _alright?_ " She dusted the dirt and shards of glass off of her fine dress. "I almost _died_. Because of _you!_ " She poked him in the chest, rage sparking in her eyes.

Obi-Wan was about to apologize, but he was done being nice. "If it weren't for me, you probably _would_ be dead," he growled. Satine's eyebrows shot up, probably surprised by his outburst. "Now, come on." He grabbed her roughly by the hand and dragged her around the palace.

"So uncivilized," she complained, and ripped her hand from Obi-Wan's grasp.

They finally found the speeder at the back of the palace, and they hopped on. Satine looked livid, but she wasn't running away, so Obi-Wan saw that as a good sign. The Padawan tapped his communicator on his wrist. "Qui-Gon? Where are you? Do you need help?"

"I'm right here!" the Jedi Master cried. He came running around from the left side of the palace, his robes flying behind him and blast shots ringing around him.

"Hop on!" Obi-Wan encouraged, and his Master jumped. He landed with a roll onto the speeder, the whole thing shaking. And then they took off.

"Get them!" The Old Mandalorians roared from behind them, but there wasn't another speeder nearby.

Qui-Gon retracted his lightsaber and bent over to catch his breath. "How is... the Duchess?" he asked Obi-Wan.

He glanced back at Satine, who was sitting as far away as possible. She looked like she wanted to murder someone, probably him.

"Fantastic," Obi-Wan said with a nervous chuckle. Then he focused on getting their group far away from the palace and into the messier, busier parts of Mandalore. They may have escaped the assassins at the palace, but there were many more threats yet to come.


	2. Two

The Duchess of Mandalore slammed the stall-door shut, locking herself in. She slumped onto the lid of the toilet, and the tears began to flow.

They were somewhat safe now; the Padawan had taken the group to an old pub in a bustling part of Mandalore, and they all had on heavy coats as disguises. But Satine's safety did not stop the tears.

It was so hard to pretend to be the perfect Duchess; she was new at it, after all. And this civil war that she didn't ask for simply made everything more difficult. Satine wanted to maintain peace, but how could she when her people were attempting assassination and fighting each other? 

Most of all, she did  _ not  _ want to run away from her people, no matter how scared she was. And the little duchess was  _ very _ frightened, even if two brave Jedi had come to save her.

Two  _ infuriating _ Jedi, she thought, swiping at her tears.  _ Especially _ that Obi-Wan. Maybe she could banish her unwanted feelings with anger.

Satine clenched her fists and stood up, grimacing when she heard a loud flush from the stall next to her. What was the Duchess of Mandalore doing wallowing in her despair while sitting on a toilet? She shook her head and unlocked the door, scolding herself for being so weak.

Then Satine saw her reflection in the grimy mirror and recoiled in horror. She was a mess! Her shoulder-length blond hair looked like a rat's nest. Her face was covered with dirt, dust, and cuts from the glass. And her blue dress wasn't much different, with a huge tear down one side. Not to mention her silver headpiece had been lost in the battle.

_ Oh, you'll pay for this, Obi-Wan. _

She knew she should be thankful for him saving her life, and she was. It was simply fun to be a pain in the ass sometimes.

Satine bent over and splashed water onto her face, thankful that the other person had already left the room. She scrubbed her cheeks with her hands, then dried off with paper towels.

The duchess lifted her chin with a huff. She may still look like shit, but she would maintain her dignity.

She strutted to the door and pushed it open, gagging at the stench of bodies and sweat and alcohol, which was only slightly better than the reek in the bathroom.

The pub was packed with drunkards. Even in the midst of a civil war, people still felt the need to drink their sorrows away and party all night long. It was actually just mid-morning, and Satine was disgusted by the fact that this many citizens were already drunk.

She started pushing her way through the crowd to get to her table where the Jedi sat, sipping water. She was almost there when a huge, sweaty man grabbed her arm.

"Hello, pretty lady," he slurred, pulling her to him. She tried to wrench her hand away, but he had an iron grip. "How'd you like to come sit in my lap, eh?"

"Get away from me!" she growled. She couldn't scream because if she attracted too much attention, people might notice who she really was. "I said—"

The smack almost sent her to the floor, and she could feel it burn on her face, but the burly man yanked her up. "Shut up, whore," he snarled, and continued to drag her to his table. Angry tears sprang to life in her eyes.

"How dare you!" she said. "Look at me when I talk to you,  _ scoundrel. _ " But it was a mistake. The man  _ did _ look at her, and his pudgy eyes lit up with recognition.

"Duchess Satine?" he shouted, swaying on his feet. "Oh, please forgive me!" He fell to his knees and bowed low. "How will I ever repay you?"

Satine looked around frantically. She had lost sight of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and people were starting to take notice. Her hood had fallen down without her realizing it, so her face was now visible to everyone. The duchess quickly flipped it back up, but it was too late.

"The Duchess?" someone shouted.

"What is Duchess Satine doing here?"

"I don't know, but now is a good time to get rid of her and end this war!"

"Yea!"

Satine backed into a table and scurried on top of it. "No, no! Stay back!" she cried, holding up her hands against the hungry people closing in.  _ Where were the Jedi? _

An old man grabbed her ankle from behind, and that's when the blaster was fired.


	3. Three

"No!" Obi-Wan screamed, and thrust his hand out. The blast stopped in midair, right in front of Satine's nose, illuminating the fear in her eyes with a red glow. It seemed like everything else stopped, too. All eyes were on Obi-Wan now, but his eyes darted around every which way.  _ Where had the blast come from? _

With a grunt, the Padawan forced the blast into the wall of the pub, where it left a singeing, black hole. Then he whipped out his lightsaber and forced his way over to the duchess, Qui-Gon close behind.

"Everyone stay back!" his Master warned, slowly waving his green lightsaber around. The people were momentarily surprised, but it wouldn't be long before their animosity took over again.

Obi-Wan reached the duchess and put a hand on her shoulder. "When I tell you to run towards the nearest exit," he whispered in her ear. "run." 

She nodded with a gulp. If they weren't about to die, Obi-Wan might have laughed. The mighty duchess was finally at a loss for words.

Then a lanky, green man with horns stepped into view, wielding a blaster. "Jedi scum." He spat at their feet.

"Watch yourself," Qui-Gon growled, pointing his saber at the man.

"What is it you want?" Obi-Wan asked politely. He had come to find that manners could go a long way in a sticky situation.

"I want  _ the duchess _ ," the alien snarled, a crease forming between his beady eyes. "I come all this way to kidnap her for a bounty, an' of course this is my luck." He threw his hands up in the air. "Two Jedi try an' stop me."

" _ Try? _ " Obi-Wan questioned. Sometimes he couldn't help but be sarcastic. "I believe we already  _ have _ stopped you."

The bounty hunter chortled. "That's what you think." And then he raised his blaster.

"Now, Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon shouted, and the two Jedi pushed out their hands, sending everyone flying.

"Run, Satine!" the Padawan hissed as he took out a little ball from his pocket. The duchess darted for the exit, and Obi-Wan hurled the ball into the crowd, some of them already getting back on their feet.

As the Jedi made their way to the exit, the room exploded with smoke. Obi-Wan's eyes started watering, and he could barely see, but the two eventually crashed though the door. He gasped in the fresh air, his lungs burning.

"We have to get to the speeder—" he started, but Satine had already pulled up in the machine.

"Come on!" she yelled. 

Obi-Wan and his Master clambered onto the contraption, but before they could leave, the bounty hunter emerged from the pub.

"I'll find you!" he snarled, and bent over coughing. Then other people came stumbling out of the bar, and none of them were happy.

"Get them!" one woman in Old Mandalorian armour shouted, pointing at their speeder.

"Duchess, I'd like to leave now," Obi-Wan said through clenched teeth.

"Shut up and let me concentrate. I'm still learning how to use this—WOAH!" the speeder lurched forward and they zoomed through the streets. Everyone in their path howled, diving out of the way.

"Slow down!" Qui-Gon roared, holding on for dear life.

"I can't!" Satine screamed. "That Old Mandalorian is gaining on us!" Obi-Wan looked back, and she wasn't wrong. The woman was using her jet-pack, and was less than a click away. Oh, how he hated speeders. And ships. And running away from people. 

"I've got it," Obi-Wan sighed, and stood in position at the back of the speeder. He ignited his lightsaber just in time to deflect the Mandalorian's first blaster shot. Then she pulled out another gun.

_ Wonderful. _

The Padawan swung his lightsaber from right to left, up and down while his Master scanned the area for more threats.

"We need to get somewhere safe before we run over someone," Qui-Gon said.

"I'm trying!" Satine insisted, right after demolishing a crate of meilooruns.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. This was going to be an agonizing adventure. Then one of the blasts got past him, almost hitting the duchess.

"Haha!" the Old Mandalorian cheered, advancing on the speeder. Obi-Wan furrowed his brows and brought her to him with the Force. Before she could fire another blast, he slashed through her jet-pack with his lightsaber. 

"Very funny, indeed!" he shouted to her as she yelped, crashing to the ground. He turned off his saber and dusted off his hands. "All taken care of."

"Um," Qui-Gon started. "I don't think so, Padawan. I think we attracted some attention. "

Obi-Wan turned around to find not one, but three Mandalorians hovering at the end of the street, blasters at the ready.  _ Damn it. _

"Turn, Satine!" the two Jedi ordered at the same time, and the duchess yanked the handle hard. The speeder almost tipped over as they turned hard to the right. Right into an alleyway with a dead end.

All of their eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Jump! Jump! Jump!" Obi-Wan yelled. The three of them leaped from the speeder and splatted to the ground. Satine landed on him with a loud grunt as Qui-Gon rolled into a dumpster.

And then the speeder collided with the wall at the end of the alleyway. There was a deafening  _ boom _ as the machine exploded, causing hot shrapnel to fly everywhere. 

"Watch out!" Obi-Wan coughed, and quickly rolled on top of Satine, shielding her from the debris. He hissed as a couple of metal pieces dug into his back, then he fell over, exhausted.

"Obi-Wan?" she asked hesitantly. She nudged him with her foot. "Are you alright?"

He laughed weakly. "Well, you're actually being nice to me, so I must be dead because the real Satine would  _ never _ ask about my well-being."

"Oh, be silent," she said, but there was no anger in her blue eyes.

"Are you two okay?" Qui-Gon grumbled. He was farther away from the explosion, so the shrapnel hadn't quite reached him.  _ Must be nice _ , Obi-Wan thought, grimacing when he felt the bite of the metal in his back.

"Never been better, Master," he groaned, and spit his Padawan braid out of his mouth.

"Shit," Qui-Gon cursed, seeing Obi-Wan. "I'm afraid we'll have to fix you up later. Those Old Mandalorians will be here any second." With one hand clutching his side, he stumbled over and pulled Obi-Wan to his feet. "Let's go."

"Where?" asked Obi-Wan.

"There's an old mechanic shop right here," Satine said, pointing to an iron door nearby. She shoved it open to reveal a dimly lit room filled with ships, tables, and spare parts.

Qui-Gon helped Obi-Wan get inside, and then they all slumped to the ground.

"What fun," the Padawan sighed, right before everything went black.


	4. Four

"Do you think he'll... die?" Satine asked Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan was laying on his stomach, and they had stripped him out of his robes so the Jedi Master could remove the metal. The duchess tried to ignore his muscular back while she pressed a rag against his wounds.

"No," Qui-Gon said, tossing another piece of shrapnel to the floor. "He's a tough one." Then the Jedi rubbed his hand over Obi-Wan's back. "I think that's it. Splash some water on his face, and maybe he'll wake up. There's a canteen in my bag"

Satine nodded. She didn't really like being ordered around, but she owed the Jedi. The duchess opened up Qui-Gon's backpack and pulled out the canteen. Then she poured some water into her hand, rubbing it gently on Obi-Wan's face.

Nothing happened.

"Wake up, Padawan," she murmured, patting his cheek.

He didn't move.

"Come on!" Then she slapped his cheek a little harder than intended.

Obi-Wan lurched awake, and the back of his head collided with Satine's face.

"Ow!" Satine yelped and clutched her nose, but the Padawan just moaned, laying back down. "Sorry!" she cringed.

"Well, at least he's awake now," Qui-Gon grumbled.

"What... what happened?" Obi-Wan mumbled, holding his head.

"You passed out after the explosion," the Master explained. "But don't worry, my young Padawan. You're safe now." He squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You were very brave today."

"Just doing my job," the young man replied with a smile. Satine handed him the canteen, and he gulped down the water gratefully.

"Yes, thank you," Satine whispered.

"What?" both Jedi asked at the same time.

"I said thank you!" Satine bristled. "Is it that hard to believe that I can be nice?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said.

The duchess glared at him. "If you weren't injured right now, I would hit you."

"What happened to believing in peace?" he teased, and she sighed. Even half dead, he was still infuriating.

" _ Speaking _ of peace," Satine started. "we need to discuss how I will get back to my palace and restore peace to Mandalore."

"Duchess," Qui-Gon slowly inhaled and exhaled. "You can't go back to the palace. It has been destroyed by the Old Mandalorians, and half of your people want you dead. There are bounty hunters who are coming for you, and they probably don't care if they capture you dead or alive. Also, it's dangerous on Mandalore right now. There are fights everywhere because your people are at  _ war _ ."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Satine huffed. "And I will stop this war! By negotiating and—"

"Duchess." Qui-Gon rubbed a hand over his face. "The Old Mandalorians are past negotiation. The only way this war will end is when everybody on one side is dead. Or someone surrenders."

What was wrong with this man? Did the Jedi have no faith? "It does not have to be that way!" Satine shouted. Tears started welling up in her eyes, and she told herself they were filled with anger, not fear. "I  _ know _ I can change their minds! I—"

"Satine," Obi-Wan, rolled over onto his side, revealing a muscular chest and an impressive abdomen.  _ Oh, goodness _ , the duchess thought.  _ Don't get distracted.  _ "Our best option is to get you off of this planet. You cannot negotiate with your people if you are dead."

She frowned at the ground, rubbing her eyes. Satine knew he was right, and a part of her wanted to leave. Because she was scared out of her mind. Because she had never been in danger like this before. But the other part of her wanted to stay. Wanted to talk some sense into the Old Mandalorians and save her beloved planet.

"Hm," Qui-Gon stroked his beard, his blue eyes narrowed in thought. "We'll need a ship. Ours is too far away. It's most likely that we would all get captured or killed before we could reach the shuttle."

"True," mused Obi-Wan. "But where are we going to find another? It appears that all the ones in here are broken and under repair."

"Not all of them," someone said. "This baby's in perfect shape."


	5. Five

Qui-Gon Jinn grabbed his lightsaber and ignited it. "Who's there?"

A figure stepped into the light. "The name's Cad Bane," he grumbled. The blue Duros with red eyes had a gravelly, low voice, and Obi-Wan had to admit that it sent shivers up his spine. He had two LL-30 blaster pistols strapped to his waist, but the Duros also sported a wide-brimmed hat, and Obi-Wan thought it looked quite stupid.

"Nice hat you have there, Cad Bane," Obi-Wan said.

"Why thank you," he growled, tipping his ugly hat.

"What do you want from us?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Well, I happened to hear your little conversation," Bane explained slowly, "and turns out I could use some credits. You give me some money, fifty credits or so; I'll take you where you want to go in my ship." He took a few steps closer to the group of three, and Qui-Gon squared his shoulders.

"Why should we trust you?" his Master inquired, pointing his green lightsaber at the man.

"None of you knew I was standing in this room just a minute ago. If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it already."

Qui-Gon seemed to think about that for a second, and then he relaxed a little. "Fair point." He put his saber away and sat back. Obi-Wan was glad this Cad Bane didn't seem to be a threat. He wasn't sure he could survive another fight today.

"So what happened to you all? It looks like someone threw you into a trash compactor. And what's the Duchess of Mandalore doing with two Jedi?" The Duros sat down a few feet away from them.

"That's none of your business," Satine spat. She probably wasn't happy that they had a way to get off Mandalore. But Obi-Wan couldn't let her scare away the pilot.

" _ Actually _ , it  _ is _ his business," the Padawan corrected. She glared at him. "He is our ticket to safety, which makes him our ally." Obi-Wan winked at Bane. He just stared. "Anyway, I'll tell you how we got into this mess."

He tried to sit up, but then hissed in pain. Satine hesitantly helped him, pushing his back with her cool hands. That's when he realized how much of his skin was exposed, and he blushed.  _ How embarrassing. _ Obi-Wan hoped he was nice to look at, at least.

"Sorry," he coughed. "So, that's my Master, Qui-Gon Jinn," the Padawan pointed to the older man. "and I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi. We were sent to protect the duchess, and long story short, we ran into a lot of trouble."

"Old Mandalorians," sighed Qui-Gon.

"Drunkards." Satine scrunched up her nose.

"And exploding speeders," Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. He hated flying more and more every day.

"Interesting," mused Bane. He took out one of his pistols, and the Padawan froze, but Cad Bane simply started polishing it.

"So, what brings you to Mandalore?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Well, you know. Delivering supplies. Paying off debts. Nothing special."

Obi-Wan smiled to himself. 'Delivering supplies' was usually code for 'smuggling spice and what-not.'

"How about you all get cleaned up, and then I'll get you something to eat." Cad Bane holstered his pistol and looked at them. "We'll leave in the morning for Tatooine. I have some errands there that can't wait, and after that, I'll take you wherever you need to go."

"Perfect," Qui-Gon agreed.

Bane got up to turn on more lights in the workshop, and Satine went to wash up with the rusty sinks at the back of the building. Obi-Wan scooted closer to his Master. "Are you sure we can trust him?"

Qui-Gon smiled at him. "We are Jedi, Obi-Wan. We can take care of ourselves, even if you're injured."

"I know, but..." The Padawan glanced at Satine. "What about the duchess? I'm not sure she even knows how to shoot a blaster."

"You must trust in the Force, my young Padawan." Then Qui-Gon hefted himself up. "I'm going to see if Cad Bane has some bandages for you and a change of clothes for Satine." Obi-Wan nodded, and his Master walked away. He wanted to believe that everything would be alright, but nothing was ever this easy.

He sighed, and looked at the duchess again. Her back was to him, and he thought he saw her shoulders shaking slightly. Was she crying? He wasn't sure, and he wasn't strong enough to go see without help. But before he could do or say anything, she turned off the sink and disappeared into Cad Bane's ship.

Obi-Wan didn't really know what to think of Satine Kryze. He could tell that she was very passionate about her people and her planet, and he could respect that. But she was so young, probably about his age, and her vision was flawed. Her ideas for saving Mandalore from violence were simply delusions. And maybe he and Qui-Gon were being delusional, too, thinking they could keep Satine safe. Especially when she was so damn stubborn.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when his Master returned with bandages. "Here you go, Obi-Wan." He handed the medical supplies to his Padawan. "Let's get started—"

"I can do it." Satine was standing behind Qui-Gon in new clothes. They were too big for her, but she pulled it off my tucking her gray shirt into a belt, and her black pants were rolled up several times above her boots. She looked nothing like a duchess. "You need to clean up anyway, Qui-Gon. You smell."

Obi-Wan's Master chuckled. "Alright then." And he walked over to the sinks.

"Have you decided to stop hating me?" Obi-Wan asked as Satine kneeled down behind him.

The duchess laughed softly. "Oh, no. I still despise you. I'm simply repaying you."

Her gentle fingers brushed over his bare skin, over his chest and his stomach and his back as she wrapped the bandages around him. Obi-Wan's cheeks were as red as a Sith Lord's lightsaber, and he was thankful she couldn't see.

Obviously, he wasn't attracted to Satine at all. In fact, he almost gagged at the thought. He had just never been touched like this before by a... woman. It was always droids or soldiers that fixed him up after a battle.

"All done," she said.

He turned around and gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you, Satine."

She flipped her blond hair over her shoulder. "Don't get used to it." Then she stared at the ground. "Even if it's the right thing to do, I'm still not happy about leaving Mandalore."

_ Woah. She was confiding in him now? Was she sick? _ "I know, darling," is all he said.

Satine scoffed. "Don't call me that." And she marched towards Cad Bane's ship.

"Alright, my dear!" Obi-Wan called after her with a grin. He just couldn't help himself.

Then he slowly got up, groaning in pain. Although the aching and burning weren't as bad, the wounds still hurt. Obi-Wan was dreading the agony that would come with putting his Jedi robes back on, but after lots of grunting and seething, he was fully dressed again.

He made his way to the shuttle. It was much better than the broken ones in the old shop, but it wasn't in 'perfect shape.' It was an average ship, with a couple of guns and a hyperdrive. However, it had definitely taken a few beatings. There was a huge dent near the back, and there were several deep scratches on the front.

The interior was nice, though. There was some newer technology inside and plenty of space to move around. Obi-Wan hated small areas, so that was a relief. 

He followed Qui-Gon's voice down a hall and into a cozy room with a table surrounded by chairs. The Padawan's stomach growled when he spotted food and water placed upon the table. He joined Bane, the duchess, and his Master, and politely started scarfing down the food.

They talked about the Mandalorian Civil War and what Bane thought about it. Thankfully, he agreed with the duchess on most matters. Obi-Wan was afraid Satine would have punched the pilot if he didn't have the same beliefs. Then they chatted about trade routes and simple things. By the time dinner was over, Obi-Wan was quite tired.

"Goodness," he yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. "I'm exhausted. One would think you put something in the food, Bane."

The Duros chuckled, but there was no mirth in his smile. "You might be right, Kenobi." Obi-Wan's eyes widened slightly as Satine fell face-first into her plate. He tried to move, but his limbs were suddenly too heavy, and his eyelids started drooping. "Sleep tight."

"Not again..." he slurred. 

The last thing he saw was the malicious look in Cad Bane's red eyes.


	6. Six

Satine heard muttering from far, far away, as if she were underwater. She couldn't see anything and she couldn't remember anything. Was she dreaming? What had happened? 

Then someone nudged her, and all sense rushed back into her.

Her blue eyes flew open to find two red orbs boring into her.

Cad Bane leaned back. "Nice of you to join us, Satine Kryze."

She tried to rub her eyes, but found her wrists were bound by chains. "I... What...?"

"I'm afraid we have been captured, Satine," sighed Obi-Wan. She turned her head to the right and found him next to her, and Qui-Gon was sitting on her other side.

"Why?" was all she could ask.

The pilot chuckled. "You may have given me fifty credits for your journey, but someone else is willing to pay a lot more for  _ you _ , Duchess."

"You're not a pilot, are you?" growled Qui-Gon. "You're a bounty hunter."

"Took you long enough," Cad Bane drawled.

"You're bringing us to Jabba the Hutt, aren't you?" inquired the Padawan.

The bounty hunter folded his arms. "Jabba just asked for the duchess, but I'm sure he'll pay a fine sum for two Jedi," he sneered. "And you know what else will be worth the trouble?" The three of them just glared at Bane. "The black market loves lightsabers."

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon immediately looked to their belts, and sure enough, their sabers were no where to be seen. Satine may not have been very offended about the lightsaber situation, but she knew that escaping would be a lot harder without them.

She cast a worried glance at Obi-Wan, seeing the storm brewing in his eyes. Cad Bane must have seen it, too.

"Don't try anything, Padawan," the Duros warned. "Jabba doesn't care if I bring him a dead duchess."

Then he pulled out a remote and pressed a button. Satine gasped and started spasming in excruciating pain. Bane was electrocuting her with the collar around her neck.

"Stop!" Obi-Wan cried, lurching toward the bounty hunter. But Bane just electrocuted him, too, and he fell back to the floor.

Finally, Bane smashed a button on the remote and the shocking ceased. Satine let out a sob of relief, slumping against the Padawan.

"Enjoy yourselves," the bounty hunter snarled. Then he left them alone in the small, empty cell.

"Are you two okay?" Qui-Gon asked, worry glinting in his eyes. Satine was panting and tears were streaming down her cheeks.  _ No! _ she wanted to scream. Her planet was at war, people were trying to kill her, she had no idea where she was, and now she had just been electrocuted by some heathen!

"Delightful," gasped Obi-Wan. His shoulders were heaving, which was quite uncomfortable for Satine's head, but she found that she didn't really want to sit up quite yet. "Satine?" The Padawan looked over at her, and his face seemed to flicker in surprise.

He was probably astonished that the duchess wasn't being hostile towards him. Satine was just too tired to be angry.

"It's going to be alright, Duchess," Obi-Wan murmured. Then he tried to pat her leg, but the movement was a little awkward because of his manacles.

Apparently, that comforting touch was not what Satine needed because it caused all of her walls to crumble, and she exploded into more tears. The Duchess of Mandalore didn't feel very powerful or strong in that moment. She felt like a little girl again who just wanted to go home.

"I... I didn't know I was that bad at comforting people," Obi-Wan cringed beside her, and somehow it made her laugh through the tears.

"No, it's not you," she sobbed. Then she wiped away her tears and looked into the Padawan's bright blue eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, you know. For being so... difficult." She lifted her head off his shoulder and leaned back against the wall. "I just... all this stress and anger have been building up ever since this awful civil war started, and I have had no one to vent to. So every day, these terrible feelings just get worse and worse, and I guess I took it all out on you two."

Qui-Gon smiled at her encouragingly, but Obi-Wan just seemed frozen in shock. 

"Now, this doesn't mean I'm going to stop being a pain in the ass," Satine said with a half-hearted smile, "but I can try to be more helpful from now on."

"We are very glad," the Jedi Master said.

Then Obi-Wan started chuckling. "I won't believe it until I see it, darling."

Satine rolled her eyes. "You are so insufferable."

He just flashed her a grin before turning to Qui-Gon. "So, uh... what's the plan, Master?


	7. Seven

Master Qui-Gon scratched his dark beard, humming in thought. "Well, we can't do anything that would risk the safety of the duchess. So, whatever we do, it can't be loud. And Cad Bane can't see us, otherwise he'll use that remote in a heartbeat to harm Satine." Obi-Wan's Master glanced apologetically at the duchess. "Sorry about talking about your... um, death, Satine."

The young woman beside Obi-Wan simply hardened her gaze, and his eyebrows jumped up in surprise. It was astonishing to see how much she had changed since the first time he met her just yesterday morning. Even though they had only known each other for a little more than a day, it felt more like a month to the Padawan.

"I wish there was a way we could get our lightsabers back," mused Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon's eyes lit up.

"There is, my young Padawan."

"How?"

Qui-Gon looked deep into his eyes. "You must reach out with the Force. Trust in the Force. It lives in all things. Inside of your saber. Your kyber crystal." His Master closed his eyes and reached out with his hands. It only took a minute for his lightsaber to come to him. Qui-Gon smiled. "Try it, Obi-Wan."

The Padawan inhaled and exhaled, scrunching his face up in concentration. He reached out with the Force, and gasped when he realized that he could see into other rooms. He could see Cad Bane in the cockpit with his feet on the dash. Spice, food, and ammunition locked away in a storage room. And finally his beloved lightsaber. It was tucked away inside the belly of an old droid.

Obi-Wan called to it, and the saber slowly lifted, floating through the ship until it was resting in his hands. He opened his eyes and laughed in disbelief. "I did it!" He couldn't help but glance at Satine to gouge her reaction, and she looked just as surprised as he was.

"Well done, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "Now we must hide these in our robes so the bounty hunter doesn't see them." The two Jedi struggled to tuck the sabers into their robes while wearing handcuffs, but they got it done eventually.

"I hope Bane doesn't need these any time soon," Obi-Wan sighed.

"Me, too," Satine agreed, her eyes glued to the cold floor. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth, realizing that he felt bad for her. Her life was at risk, and he had just jeapordized it even more by disobeying Cad Bane.

"It's going to be alright, Duchess," he tried. 

Her light blue eyes flashed up at him. "Don't tell me that unless you know it's true."

_ Goodness. What was wrong with this lady? One moment she was apologizing and leaning on his shoulder. The next minute she was all angry again. _ Obi-Wan rubbed his hands over his face. He wasn't stupid, but he would never understand women.

"Um, what happens now, Master?" he looked to Qui-Gon.

"I think we should—" He was interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and shortly after, Cad Bane appeared behind the bars to their cell.

"Haven't escaped yet?" he grumbled in that gravelly voice.

"We weren't planning to," Obi-Wan lied.

"Good. Because we're about to land on Tatooine, and Jabba would be angry if he didn't get to see you." Bane whipped out a pistol. "Now get up."

The three of them struggled to their feet as the bounty hunter opened the cell.

"I don't expect any trouble from you two," he growled. "because you know what happens." He pressed the blaster to the back of Satine's head, and she froze. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon just nodded. The Duros seemed to inspect them for a minute with his red eyes before he started walking. "Hurry up then."

The group inched out of the little room and through the corridors of the ship. All the while, Cad Bane kept nudging Satine in her back with his gun, and Obi-Wan's fists clenched tighter every time.

Then they walked down the ramp of the ship onto the hot sands of Tatooine. It was a completely different planet compared to Mandalore. There was barely any civilization, and there was nothing to see for miles and miles, except for Jabba's palace.

It was a round building surrounded by smaller towers, and Obi-Wan could see several Gamorreans standing guard. His lips curled in disgust. How he hated those nasty, green pig men.

He was not excited to be anywhere near them, but Qui-Gon wasn't making any moves to escape.  _ I love my life _ , he thought with a roll of his eyes, and proceeded to march towards the vile creatures.


	8. Eight

_ What are those giant monsters? _ Satine thought as she was forced across the sand. They looked like enormous, deformed green pigs. As the group of four got closer, an awful smell reached her nose, and she realized the stench was coming from those... _ things _ .

When Cad Bane halted in front of them, they started snarling and growling. She prayed that they would block the way with their big axes so that maybe she, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon could escape. But the pig men did no such thing.

They seemed to approve of the bounty hunter, and the doors to Jabba the Hutt's palace opened for them. Satine started shaking in fear.

_ Oh, my. This is really happening.  _ What would Jabba do to her? Did he plan to make her his slave? Or was he going to kill her? The duchess gulped at the thought as their group crossed over the threshold.

It was very loud inside of the building, what with all of the aliens and people shouting, dancing, and drinking. There were shadows lurking everywhere and there wasn't much light in the palace. Satine didn't like it. 

And then they arrived before him in all his glory: Jabba the Hutt. She wanted to throw up when she saw him. He was more hideous and revolting than the pig people. Satine tried not to think about what all could fit inside those fat rolls.

Cad Bane bowed before the slug. "Greetings, Mighty Jabba."

Jabba the Hutt garbled out a bunch of words in Huttese, but Satine had no idea what they meant.

The protocol droid next to him translated: "The All-Mighty Jabba asks what you have brought him, Cad Bane."

"I have the Duchess of Mandalore, as requested," he grumbled, shoving Satine in the back. She stumbled forward and glared up at Jabba."

He chortled slowly, pointing at her as if he were mocking her. Then he started speaking in Huttese again.

The droid told them, "Jabba says that she is a feisty one, and that she will learn her place. He also wishes for you to hand her over."

"Alright," Bane took the collar off of the duchess, but left the handcuffs on. "I'll need my money, first." 

Satine threw a panicked glance at the two Jedi, who had not done anything so far.  _ What were they waiting for? Didn't they have a plan?  _

But the look in Obi-Wan's eyes was like a punch to her gut. They were filled with sorrow and fear, no cleverness or hope.

"Please, help me!" she rasped in terror, her eyes brimming with tears.

Obi-Wan just stared at the ground.

The credits had already been handed over to Bane is a silver case, and he was pushing her towards the slug. 

"No! No!" she screamed. "I will not be bought and sold like some droid!"

Everyone just ignored her, and Jabba silenced her by placing his slimy hand on her head. She shuddered, the tears spilling over.

Then the Hutt spoke again.

"The All-Mighty Jabba is thankful, and wishes to know why the two Jedi are here." 

The Hutt awaited the bounty hunter's answer with a frown.

"Well, I thought you might like to have Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi on your hands." Cad Bane walked over to the Jedi and took off their collars.

Jabba seemed to glare at him. Then he began to get angry.

The droid shuffled from foot to foot. "Jabba is not pleased with you, Cad Bane. He says that he is not an enemy of the Republic or the Jedi, and he does not wish to be. He demands that you release the Jedi from captivity."

The blue Duros sneered, his red eyes flashing. "As you wish."

He reluctantly removed the manacles from their wrists, and they both rubbed their arms.

Satine managed to scrounge up some hope. Surely, they would help her now that they were free, right? But nothing happened. Everyone just stood there. And when Jabba dismissed Cad Bane, they left.

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder, his blue eyes locking onto hers. They were simply sad, full of regret. She just stared back in disbelief. They were  _ abandoning _ her.

The group of three disappeared into the crowd, and Jabba the Hut chuckled, caressing her cheek with a slimy hand.

She gagged and lurched away from him, but he just started laughing harder.

"The All-Mighty Jabba has lots of plans for you, Duchess of Mandalore."

Satine's face crumpled in grief and horror.


	9. Nine

They were almost to Cad Bane's ship when Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan  _ The Look _ , and they sprang into action.

The two Jedi whipped out their lightsabers and pointed them at Cad Bane's face before he could even pull the trigger on his gun. The Duros went from startled to angry, glaring at the Jedi with those red eyes.

"We all know you aren't going to honor Jabba and let us go," growled the Padawan. "You're just going to sell us to someone else. Well, you  _ were _ .  _ Now _ , you're going to drop your weapons."

The bounty hunter spat at their feet. "Jedi scum." But he dropped his pistols in the sand.

"And handcuffs?" Obi-Wan curled his fingers as if to say, "hand them over." Bane grumbled and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, giving them to the Padawan.

Obi-Wan clamped them around Bane's wrists while Qui-Gon kept his green saber in his face. And before they made way to the ship, Obi-Wan plucked one of the blasters from the sand. Maybe Satine could use it later.

When they arrived at Cad Bane's shuttle, the Jedi locked him in another room. "You'll pay for this," the Duros grumbled as the doors were closing. The Padawan rolled his eyes. He had heard that plenty of times, and it was almost never true.

Then he sat down in the captain's chair in the cockpit, and Qui-Gon settled down next to him.

"Why didn't we save Satine right away?" asked Obi-Wan. Nothing had ever nagged at him this much before, and he was fidgeting all around in his seat.

Qui-Gon smiled. "Well, if we saved the duchess, we would have angered Jabba the Hutt. We don't want him as an enemy. Trade routes would be closed and whatnot." His Master narrowed his eyes. "Are you thinking straight, Obi-Wan?"

He chuckled, running a hand through his short, blond hair. "I guess not." He couldn't stop thinking about that awful look in Satine's eyes when they left her. She had seemed so hopeless and afraid. He hated seeing the strong, stubborn duchess like that. "So... what's our plan?"

Qui-Gon stood up and started searching the ship. "I'm sure Bane has some clothes in here that we can use as disguises."

After lots of snooping and opening boxes, Qui-Gon found a mask that completely covered his face and Obi-Wan was wearing a big, black coat.

He rubbed the fabric distastefully. "I hate black." His Master just laughed.

The pair started walking down the ramp of the ship and across the sands, a soft breeze whispering in the air. "Where do you think they have Satine?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"Probably in the dungeons," Qui-Gon answered. "At least I hope so."

The Padawan giggled nervously. "Usually, one does not hope for their friend to be locked away in prison."

The older Jedi just shrugged. "Better than her being Jabba's little pet, sitting at his right hand."

Obi-Wan cringed. "True." They were getting closer to the Gamorreans now. "How are we going to get past them and into the dungeons?"

"The way we always do," Qui-Gon grinned.

Finally, the Jedi stopped before the disgusting pigs, causing them to snort and growl. Their axes came down and made a huge "X", blocking the entryway.

Obi-Wan's Master slowly waved his hand in the air. "You will take us to the dungeons, and if anyone asks, we are prisoners." The pig man on the left blinked slowly, and then he garbled something in Gamorrese.

The awful creatures lifted their axes, opening the doors to the palace.

When they got inside, Obi-Wan walked briskly and looked around anxiously. He hoped Satine was okay.


	10. Ten

Satine was not okay.

She had been hurled into a cell by one of those terrible pig men. It honestly wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't smelled so wretched. And now the duchess had been crying in the dungeons for what felt like hours.

Were the Jedi coming back for her? She wanted to hope that they would, but she knew that if they didn't come, her dreams would be crushed. Satine probably wouldn't be able to mentally recover from them abandoning her and leaving her to rot in this dreadful place.

The young woman had thought about escaping, but how? She wasn't trained like the Jedi and she wasn't a warrior. She lacked stealth as well as agility. So, unfortunately, her chances of getting out of the palace were low.

She moaned, curling her knees up to her chest. How did she even get in this mess?

"Shut your mouth," someone grumbled. Satine glared through the bars and into the cell next to hers. There was a big, purple Lasat with a huge scar running across his face, sprawled out on the hard floor. "Complaining won't do ya any good."

The duchess blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?" She had been alive for twenty-two long years, and she had never been treated this terribly in the span of a few days. "I am the Duchess of Mandalore. You will treat me with respect!"

The Lasat just scoffed. "We're all equals here, and we all serve Jabba."

Satine curled her lip. How depressing.

Then she heard footsteps nearby and squinted into the darkness to see two cloaked figures. One appeared to be hidden behind a mask, and the other had his head down, the hood of his cloak casting a dark shadow over his face.

They approached the pig guard on duty and spoke slowly in hushed tones. Then the vile creature took a balled-up robe from them before walking towards Satine's cell. But his movements seemed very robotic, almost unnatural. 

She backed up closer to the wall behind her. What was going on?

The pig man started unlocking her cell, and then he threw the plain, grey robe at her feet before walking away.

She held her breath, scared to believe that this was a rescue. But as the two figures walked by her cell, she spotted piercing blue eyes and the swing of a Padawan braid. She hurriedly stood up and wrapped herself in her new cloak. 

"Hey!" The Lasat whisper-shouted. "Take me with you." Satine cringed. She wasn't very fond of the creature, and it seemed like the two Jedi agreed. The duchess caught up with them after they all ignored the Lasat.

"Hey!" This time he called out a lot louder. "Hey, come back!" He started banging on the bars of his cell. "Guards! Guards! A prisoner is escaping!"

_ Shit. _

Satine looked over her shoulder to find several guards tumbling out of an alcove with their axes raised. They did not look happy.

"Run, Satine!" Obi-Wan hissed, grabbing her hand and pulling her along after him.

"I am quite capable of running by myself!" she panted, ripping her hand away from him. She was thankful for the rescue, but had they planned on coming back for her all along? Had they thought about truly abandoning her?

Satine was wrenched from her thoughts by the axe that came flying past her head. She screamed and tripped over her huge boots that she had gotten from Cad Bane. Thankfully, Obi-Wan caught her, and this time, she didn't pull away. 

"This way!" Qui-Gon shouted. He was a few steps in front of the pair, but the duchess could feel herself speeding up. They caught up to the Jedi Master and burst out of the gloomy corridor, only to find themselves trapped on the dance floor. There were half-naked Twi'leks and aliens playing instruments and drunkards swaying this way and that way.  _ So uncouth. _

She cried out in frustration, and maybe a little bit of fear. "We'll never make it out of here!"

"Yes, we will!" Obi-Wan objected. He inconspicuously flicked his fingers, and the door to the hallways slammed shut in the pig men's faces. "Haha!" he shouted.

"That won't keep them at bay for long!" warned Qui-Gon, but they were almost through the thickest part of the crowd by now. Once the trio broke through all the people, they bolted for the huge palace doors. "We're almost there!"

"Uh... so are the Gamorreans!" the Padawan said in a nervous, sing-song voice, and he was right. More of the pig men had been sent after them, and they were closing in.

"Once we get outside," huffed Qui-Gon, "head straight for Cad Bane's ship!"

An axe crashed into the sand right in front of them, and Satine had to leap over it, right before slamming into the Jedi Master.

"Why did we stop?" she cried hysterically.

"The ship is gone!" Qui-Gon grumbled. "Bane must have escaped somehow."

They all exchanged frantic glances, and then turned to face the angry creatures running towards them.

"Oh, look!" shouted Obi-Wan, pointing at two small shapes in the distance. "Speeders!"

They took off, their shoes skidding on the slippery sand. The snarls and growls of the pig men were getting louder, and Satine couldn't help but let out another scream.

"It's going to be okay!" Obi-Wan squeezed her arm.

"No it's not!" Satine wailed.

"Would you two concentrate more on running?" Qui-Gon reprimanded. "I'll take the speeder on the left, you two take the one on the right."

"Yes, Master!" the Padawan panted, then yelped when he realized there was a pig right behind him. Satine hadn't noticed either, and she screeched in Obi-Wan's ear. "Ow!" he rubbed his ear with one hand while he used the Force with his other, pushing the creature into the sand.

"Sorry!" the duchess huffed. They were only about a klick away from the machines now, and she wanted to just collapse in relief. Then she remembered her last experience with a speeder. "You drive this time, Obi-Wan!"

Even though they were in a near-death situation, the Padawan still managed to be a sarcastic, little prick. "Are you sure you don't want to drive?"

"Yes!" Satine insisted. She didn't have time to reply with something clever.

Then Obi-Wan Force-jumped onto the tiny speeder, his black robe billowing around him. For some reason, the duchess had the strange thought that she preferred him in white. She shook her head and leaped on behind him.

"Hold on tight!" he warned. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around his firm middle right before he took off after Qui-Gon. "Wha-hoo!" he celebrated.

Satine gaped at him. "We almost died!" she exclaimed. "Why are you happy?"

He grinned at her over his shoulder. "You said it yourself, darling. We  _ almost _ died. Happens to me all the time."

"You Jedi are crazy!"

Obi-Wan just laughed, and they flew over the white sand dunes into the sunset.


	11. Eleven

It was dark by the time the group stopped at a cave. The hollowed-out area was tucked into a huge wall of rock on one side of a trench. Obi-Wan would have preferred to be up high, but Qui-Gon had insisted on spending the night in the cave.

"I feel disgusting," Satine complained. She was sitting on a small boulder, warming her hands by the fire they had constructed. "I haven't had a real bath in days."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Well, I think you look lovely, even if you smell wretched."

"Hey!" she scowled at him and threw her shoe at his face. "At least I don't wreak as bad as you do. Jabba the Hutt smelled like roses compared to you."

The Padawan's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned back in disbelief. "Whoa! Now that's harsh, even for the Ever So Violent Duchess—"

"I am not violent!" she shouted and glared at him. "I am in full support of peace and only peace!"

Obi-Wan shrugged with a smirk. "Whatever you say... Oh!" he pulled Cad Bane's blaster out of his pocket. "You might want this, even if you're  _ so _ opposed to violence." He got up from his rock and placed it beside her before walking back to his seat. She curled her lip.

The Padawan rolled his eyes.  _ Stubborn woman. _

" _ Speaking _ of violence and weapons and whatnot," Satine picked up the gun and fiddled with it. "Why didn't you and Qui-Gon use your lightsabers back at the palace? When we were trying to escape." She looked genuinely curious.

The Jedi Master glanced up at them from where he was cleaning food. They had run across an abandoned garden on their way here, so Qui-Gon had taken some gourds and dweezel. "Because if Jabba the Hutt had found out that Jedi were at his palace, he would assume it was us breaking you out of his prison. It would jeopardize our alliance and peace with the Hutt clan."

Obi-Wan blushed. Maybe he should have been more careful about using the Force.

Satine nodded. "That makes sense." Then she looked down at her dainty feet wearing white socks. "Thank you, again, for saving me. I... wasn't sure you would come back."

The Padawan leaned toward her. "What? Why?"

The duchess turned the blaster over in her hands. "Well, you just looked so hopeless when you left. I thought it was... goodbye."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Satine, we would  _ never _ abandon you. It is our mission to keep you safe, and even if it  _ wasn't _ my mission, I'd still do it. Even if you're mean to me." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Were those tears in her eyes?

"I didn't really think that you two actually cared about me." The duchess tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear. Obi-Wan had to admit that she was beautiful, but he wasn't attracted to her. Even if he wanted to have those feelings for her, he couldn't. It simply was not the Jedi way. However, he could still try to be her friend. "I guess I've never really had anyone." Satine released a laugh. There was no joy in the sound. "My parents died when I was young, and my sister, Bo-Katan... well, I haven't seen her in a long time."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened when he saw tears rolling down Satine's cheeks.  _ Oh, dear.  _ He honestly didn't know what to do. But he tried anyway.

"Satine... I'm so sorry." He hesitantly walked over to her and sat next to her. "I didn't know."

"I know," she sniffed, turning her head the other way. "It's not your fault."

Qui-Gon smiled up at her from the ground. "We are here for you, Duchess." She was silent.

"Do you want a hug?" The Padawan asked after a minute.

"No."

But he embraced her anyway, and after a few seconds, she turned to him and buried her head in his chest. Her shoulders started shaking with the force of her tears.

Some would call the duchess weak for breaking down like this. But Obi-Wan didn't think so. He thought she was strong for showing her feelings. He believed she was brave to strive for peace when fighting would be so much easier. And he thought she must be very determined because no other little princess would have made it this far.

They sat like that for a long time, Satine tucked close to the Padawan, and Qui-Gon preparing food on the ground. Then the duchess lifted her head and gazed into Obi-Wan's eyes. "I'm still going to pretend to hate you, you know."

Obi-Wan chuckled. He suddenly had the strong urge to do something, but he didn't know what. "And I'm still going to tease you until you punch me." Satine giggled. It was probably the cutest sound Obi-Wan had ever heard.

Then something started to buzz, and Qui-Gon pulled a metal disk out of his pocket before placing it on the sand. A hologram of Mace Windu and Yoda popped out of the device.

Qui-Gon nodded his head. "Master Yoda. Master Windu."

The two Masters nodded back, the blue hologram glitching slightly.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, nice to see you, it is," Yoda said. Then the little green man looked to Obi-Wan. "And you, Padawan. Duchess Satine." The duchess quickly wiped the tears from her face.

"How is your mission going?" Mace Windu asked.

Qui-Gon stroked his dark beard. "Well, we are in hiding right now on Tatooine. We have run into lots of obstacles along the way, but I suppose that was to be expected."

Obi-Wan almost laughed. His Master just made it sound like they hadn't almost died several times.

"How are you, Duchess?" Windu inquired.

Satine looked up and hardened her gaze. "I'm fine. How are my people?"

"Almost the same as before, they are. Evenly matched, both sides of the Civil War seem to be. Unsure of the outcome, we are."

"What about the bounty hunters and assassins?" Qui-Gon questioned.

Master Windu frowned. "Unfortunately, the galaxy is still crawling with them. We heard from our spies that many Old Mandalorians have left their planet to find the Duchess... and eliminate her." Obi-Wan cringed. "We have dispatched Jedi to capture these people, but before then, stay in hiding. We are doing all that we can."

"Of course," Qui-Gon said.

"Wait for the violence to settle down, we should." Yoda smiled. "May the Force be with you." Then the hologram disappeared.

"So... we don't get to go to Coruscant?" a crease appeared in between Satine's eyebrows. "Wouldn't that be the safest place to go?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "We can't bring your war to Coruscant. Really, the Jedi aren't supposed to be involved at all."

"Oh."

Obi-Wan ran his hand through his hair. "Well, um, what's the plan, Master? Where do we go?"

The older Jedi sighed. "For now, we just stay here. Spend the night. In the morning, we'll look for civilization and discuss the plan."

The Padawan nodded. "Alright."

And then the group ate a very late dinner and went to bed. Unfortunately, none of them heard the clatter of metal and the shuffle of little feet outside.


	12. Twelve

Something nudged Satine's side, and she rolled over, mumbling in her sleep. Then she felt the thing force open one of her eyeballs, and she screamed.

All the little Jawas around her screeched in response, scattering everywhere. The duchess had been sleeping on the sand, and she scrambled backwards in surprise only to accidentally slap her hand onto Obi-Wan's face.

"Ah!" The Padawan lurched awake and budded heads with Satine.

"Ow! They both exclaimed, rubbing their heads.

_ Just my luck, _ the duchess thought.  _ This is the second time I've smashed my head into his in the past week.  _

And while all this went on, Qui-Gon was sleeping peacefully in the corner of the cave.

"What is happening?" Obi-Wan asked with a grimace.

"Those awful Jawas woke me up and frightened me!" They were all fleeing the cavern now, and she glared into the last one's yellow eyes.

The Padawan seemed to relax and started yawning. "Could be worse." But then his eyes widened. "Oh, no."

"What?" Satine asked warily.

Obi-Wan jumped to his feet and held out his hand for Satine. "Well, I suppose you could refer to Jawas as scavengers." The duchess took his hand before he pulled her up. "Which means they like to steal things, and they don't care who it belongs to."

Satine moaned. "Which means they probably took our speeders?"

Obi-Wan nodded grimly.

"Shit," the Duchess growled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the Padawan waved his hands in front of her face. "This situation does not permit such a vile word."

Satine rolled her eyes and held up the middle finger. "It does in my book." Obi-Wan gasped. 

She would have to teach him that cussing often made things a lot better.

"Vulgar," the Padawan said with a smile. "Absolutely barbaric."

"Oh, be silent." Satine flipped her hair and marched to the opening of the cave. She almost enjoyed bantering with the Jedi. "Let's see what the Jawas have done with our speeders."

"Nothing good," Obi-Wan sighed, coming up beside her.

Satine placed her hand on her forehead, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight, and saw the Jawas in the distance with their giant sandcrawler. They were hauling the speeders behind them, leaving a trail of spare parts in their wake.

"Damn it," she growled. "They've taken the speeders apart."

Then she heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see Qui-Gon shuffling to them. "What's all this ruckus?" 

Obi-Wan rubbed the back of his neck. "The Jawas  _ might _ have invaded our camp and stolen our speeders." He flashed a nervous smile.

Qui-Gon stroked his beard. Satine had noticed that it had gotten longer, and when she glanced at Obi-Wan, she realized that he had some stubble along his jawline. For someone his age, it would usually look sloppy or silly, but the stubble on the Padawan's face almost made him seem... manly. The duchess barely stopped herself from snorting at the ridiculousness of the thought.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to get the speeders back," said the Jedi Master.

"But how?" inquired Obi-Wan, throwing up his hands.

"We shall see when we get there."

So the group of three made their way through the sand and to the Jawas, picking up spare parts along the way. Satine curled her lip when she picked up a little pipe. It was greasy.

When they got closer to the sandcrawler, the Jawas all stopped what they were doing and stared at them with their beady, yellow eyes.

"We would like our speeders back, please," Qui-Gon declared slowly, as if he were talking to children.

The Jawas burst into chatter, babbling angrily in Jawaese. Several of them crowded around the skeletons of the speeders and hugged the machines. Others simply ran into the sandcrawler with the metal parts in their arms.

"I guess that's a  _ no _ ," Obi-Wan murmured. He pulled on his Padawan braid. "What can we say to them so that they'll give the speeders back?"

"Hm, let me think." Qui-Gon folded his arms.

Satine shook her head. Did they know nothing about diplomacy? "We don't have time for this! I'll handle it." The Jedi just stared at her doubtfully.

_ Oh, I'll show you. _

The duchess marched up to the Jawas and placed her hands on her hips. "I demand that you pause for a moment and listen to me, seeing as I am the Duchess of Mandalore. And yes, I know; you may not be citizens of Mandalore, but you shall treat me with utmost respect." The incoherent chatter died down. The Jawas seemed wary, but they were paying attention. 

"You Jawas will return the speeders to us, completely repaired, or every single one of you will be taken into captivity for life." The little people froze in fear.

"Can she do that?" Obi-Wan whispered to Qui-Gon behind her. She smiled in satisfaction.

"What do you say, Jawas? A little sacrifice for the beloved Duchess of Mandalore, or a lifetime in prison?" Satine raised a perfect eyebrow.

The Jawas burst into chatter again, although this time it was quiet. Well, quiet for the Jawas. Eventually, some of the people shoved one of their own to the front of the crowd. The Jawa was taller than the rest of them, but he still seemed frightened of the duchess.  _ Good _ , she thought.

He reached up and tugged on her arm, pulling her around the corner of the canyon to reveal a pile of junk. But as Satine got closer, she saw that it was a space ship, just a very old, very broken one.

"What are you trying to do?" she questioned. The creature just kept dragging her to the shuttle until they were right next to it. Then the Jawa slapped the ship, and pointed at Satine.

_ What was he trying to say? _ "Is that... are you giving the ship to me?" The Jawa nodded excitedly, and the duchess grinned. Her plan was working better than she expected. "But this shuttle obviously needs major repairs. How long will it take?"

The Jawa shifted from foot to foot and spread out his arms.

"Hm," Satine hummed. "So quite a bit of time?" The creature nodded again. "Alright, well you Jawas better get to work, and maybe I'll forget about you stealing my speeders." The Jawa scurried away, and Satine looked over her shoulder to find the Jedi gawking at her.

"How did you do that?" Obi-Wan asked.

She shrugged. "I told you that negotiating works."

The Padawan laughed. "That wasn't negotiating. That was  _ threatening! _ "

"Mm, same thing," Satine smirked.

The Jedi Master smiled approvingly. "Well, done, Duchess."

"My pleasure." She dropped into a fake curtsy.

"You can't actually lock them up, can you?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"Well, technically I _ could _ if I wanted to," The duchess started walking towards them, and they all began their trek back to the cave. "But that wouldn't be right, so I wouldn't actually arrest any of them. They don't know that, of course." She winked at the Padawan.

He smiled at her, his blue eyes flashing. "I  _ like _ this Satine! What did you do with the real Satine?" He pretended to knock on her forehead. "Duchess? Are you in there?"

"Stop that!" she snatched at his hand and he danced out of reach. Satine glowered at him, but she found that she rather enjoyed the Jedi's teasing.

Qui-Gon was laughing. "I suppose you two have finally stopped hating each other?"

"No," they both said at the same time, and then they burst into giggles.

Satine knew this was unbecoming of a duchess, but she didn't care. She was having fun for once in her life. And the duchess continued to have fun for the rest of her stay on Tatooine.

It took the Jawas a whole month to repair the ship, but she didn't mind. It was freeing to roam the sands of Tatooine. No diplomats and politicians biting at her heels. No bounty hunters or assassins threatening to kill her. It was just Satine, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and the Jawas.

At first, the duchess was worried that she would quickly clash with the Jedi. That they would start arguing all the time, but that wasn't the case. She actually bonded quite a bit with the Master and the Padawan. 

Qui-Gon taught her a lot about survival. She learned how to clean the food that the Jawas shared with them, and she became an expert at starting a fire. 

He also taught her how to meditate. They would sit for long hours in the sunlight with their legs folded. They would clear their minds and listen to only the Force, even though the duchess was not a Jedi. By the end of the month, Satine almost thought of Qui-Gon as a father figure of sorts.

And then there was Obi-Wan. He taught her how to use Cad Bane's blaster. They would set up little targets along the walls of the trench, and he would help her shoot them. Well, he aided her at first, holding her arm and leaning over her shoulder, but now Satine thought she was pretty good at it by herself.

One day, the two of them had been on a walk when they had run into sand people. Obi-Wan had pulled out his blue lightsaber to protect her, pulling her behind his back, but the duchess had whipped out her blaster. She had shot at their feet, and the sand people had taken off. She would never forget that look on Obi-Wan's face after she did that. A little bit of surprise, and a lot of approval. That look from him always gave her a strange feeling, but it was pleasant in a way she didn't understand.

Some days Obi-Wan would even instruct Satine in hand-to-hand combat. Round-house kicks and punches, feinting to the right and tripping up your opponent. The duchess didn't necessarily like the fighting, but she  _ did _ enjoy the view.

The Padawan would often take off his robes, exposing his strong chest and even stronger abdominal muscles. She had to admit that his back was nice to look at, too. He wasn't built like a rock and his shoulders weren't very broad; instead he was nice and lean, just the way she liked it. Not to mention that his skin had gotten darker under the hot Tatooine suns. And his hair had taken on more of a golden sheen. Even though Satine was not in love with Obi-Wan in any way, no woman could resist a body like that. 

And sometimes she thought she saw the Padawan looking at her with appraising eyes, as well. Satine had cut off the bottom half of Cad Bane's shirt. It was simply too hot for all that. So now her stomach and lower back were exposed. The duchess knew it was extremely scandalous, but she honestly didn't care.

Now, she was lounging in the shade of their cave with an arm over her eyes when Obi-Wan came running in. "What is it?" She looked up at his smiling face.

"The ship is done! Pack your bags, because we are leaving, my darling!"


	13. Thirteen

Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Satine stopped before the ship, and the Padawan cringed. He hadn't been expecting a work of art—the shuttle was fixed by filthy  _ Jawas _ , after all—but this was just terrifying.

The space ship was in even worse shape than Cad Bane's ship, with mismatched parts and crooked wings. Some parts were painted and some were bare. Obi-Wan was scared to even touch it, much less step inside it.

He glanced down at the Jawas behind him. "Are you sure this thing will fly?"

They waved their arms around angrily and shouted aggressively in Jawaese. 

"Okay! Okay! Sorry!" Obi-Wan backed away and followed the duchess and his Master to the ship. "Goodness," he muttered. "I certainly won't miss  _ them _ ."

Satine giggled. "I don't know... they've kind of grown on me." The Padawan gave her a look as if to say,  _ you're crazy.  _ But in truth, the duchess wasn't wrong. Obi-Wan had come to like the Jawas... well, almost. And he had come to enjoy Satine's company, too. The two had really bonded on Tatooine, and now Obi-Wan could say they were friends. He was almost sad to leave the safety of their little trench.

Up ahead, Qui-Gon knocked on the metal walls inside of the ship, and a bunch of rattling sounds responded. "I do not like this," Obi-Wan complained.

His Master smiled back at him. "Have faith, my young Padawan. I'm sure it will work."

The younger Jedi laughed nervously. "I sure hope so."

The group arrived in the cockpit, and Qui-Gon started powering up the ship after slapping the console a few times. The shuttle seemed to growl and roar at them a little bit, but it eventually complied.

"I love flying," Obi-Wan smiled fearfully, and Satine laughed.

"I'm a bit nervous, too, but you would think a  _ Jedi _ could be braver." The duchess sat down in the chair behind the two Jedi. The Padawan threw a glare her way, but then he noticed the light playing on her face as she looked around the ship. The glow from all of the technology made her look like a goddess, with her defined cheekbones, straight nose, and golden hair, which had gotten a lot longer. "What are you staring at?" she demanded, waving her hand in his face.

He shook his head and grinned. "Sorry, there was, um, a smudge on your face."

Satine's hand flew to her face. "What? Where?"

Obi-Wan leaned back and bopped her on the nose. "Right there, my dear duchess."

She rolled her eyes as she rubbed the tip of her nose. "One should not bop the nose of a duchess."

"My apologies—" The Padawan had to hold back a yelp as the ship lurched into the air. "Oh, my—!"

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Sorry. This might be a bumpy ride." Then they took off, and much to Obi-Wan's dismay, it was indeed a bumpy ride.

"So, where are we going Master? Didn't you say something about needing supplies before we go anywhere?"

The older Jedi nodded. "I believe there is a small village where we can get everything we need. I wish we could stay on Tatooine, but it is imperative that we keep moving. If we stay in the same place, we will be found."

"Well, what planet are we headed to?" Satine inquired.

"I think we should hide on Draboon for a while. It's in the Outer Rim and there is barely any civilization, mostly wilderness. We should be safe there." Qui-Gon pressed a few buttons on the console and the duchess groaned.

"When will I ever get to take a real bath again?" 

Obi-Wan smirked back at her. "Was bathing in that pond on Tatooine not good enough for you, Duchess of Mandalore?"

"No!" she huffed. "That was more disgusting than it was refreshing,  _ and _ there was absolutely no privacy! You almost saw me one time!" Qui-Gon burst out laughing, and Obi-Wan blushed. He would never forget that. The Padawan had been on his way to bathe, unaware that Satine was taking a second dip in the pond. He'd walked around some boulders and was greeted by long hair cascading over a smooth back and slim waist. Of course, being the gentleman that he was, Obi-Wan had immediately slapped his hand over his eyes, but Satine had screamed at him the whole time it took him to sprint back to the cave.

"I'd like to hear about that story sometime!" Qui-Gon chuckled.

"Well, it'll have to wait," mumbled Obi-Wan. "because I see buildings!" There were stout, little homes scattered about in the sand up ahead, accompanied by tents and vendors and other structures. It all looked very... bland. The Padawan had to admit that he appreciated a little style, but they were here on a mission, not a vacation.

After lots of rattling and rumbling, his Master set the ship down on a landing pad, and the group walked out onto the ramp with their hoods up.

"I think we should name the ship  _ Garbage _ . Can we name it  _ Garbage _ ?"

Qui-Gon laughed. "I don't care."

Satine scoffed. "Oh, be thankful for what the Jawas did!"

The Padawan flashed an impish smile her way as they entered the small city. "I  _ am _ thankful. That doesn't mean I have to  _ like Garbage. _ " The duchess smiled back. They used to argue like this when they first met, but now it was just friendly banter, and Obi-Wan quite enjoyed it.

"I'll go fetch the fuel and supplies we need for the ship itself," said Qui-Gon, observing everything around them. The droid stealing a leg from one of the vendor's tables, the young Twi'lek girl grumbling over a broken podracer, the little kids playing tag around them.

"I'm gonna get you!"

"Nuh uh!"

"You're it, Anakin!"

"Aw, man!"

"I suppose I'll get all the food for the journey," declared Obi-Wan.

Satine ran her hands through her long hair. "And  _ I'm _ going to get a bath."

The Padawan cast a glance her way. "Are you sure? You could come with one of us, just to be safe, and then—"

The duchess held up a hand in his face. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much."

Obi-Wan grinned and swept into a mocking bow. "Whatever you say, Your Majesty."

She rolled her eyes, and Qui-Gon looked at them worriedly. "You two keep it down. We don't need anyone hearing you call her  _ duchess _ ."

_ Oops.  _ "Sorry, Master."

The older Jedi patted him on the back. "I'm off. We'll meet back at the ship in an hour." And then they went their separate ways. 

Obi-Wan followed the signs and the smells wafting in the air to find the food they needed. He bought several pounds of preserved meat, some bread, and a couple bottles of alcohol, too. He felt it was quite alright for Jedi and duchesses to indulge alcohol, just as long as they were responsible. And Obi-Wan liked to think that he was quite responsible.

Then he got a real bath for the first time in more than a month and washed his clothes with real soap. His hair didn't really need a trim because Satine had cut it for him with a knife one time. It had been very terrifying.

He hoped she was alright. The Padawan knew that she could definitely take care of herself, but there were bad people out there, and he cared about the duchess, deeply. Which was not good because it was against the Jedi Code to have attachments, even if he wasn't attached to the duchess in a romantic way. Obi-Wan just couldn't help himself. He had never met a woman before who was quite like Satine. She was mean and hard-headed and strong and scary, but she could also be funny and kind and caring and adorable and beautiful— 

He slammed into the back of a giant Besalisk. 

"Hey, watch where you're going!" he snarled.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Obi-Wan held up his hands and quickly walked away, his Jedi robes swishing all around him. He didn't really want to get in a brawl, mostly because his robes were nice and clean. Oh, how he loved clean clothes.

This mission was exciting and quite the adventure, but the Padawan was a little homesick. He missed the organization and the familiarity of Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. He also longed for a brand new set of robes and a hearty meal in the mess hall. But he supposed it would have to wait.

Eventually, the Padawan arrived at  _ Garbage _ to find Satine and Qui-Gon already there. The duchess was dressed in a blue blouse and tight khaki pants that were tucked into shiny brown boots. Her blond hair was held up with a set of shiny, silver pins and she smelled like lavender.

"Very stylish, my dear," Obi-Wan complimented. He appreciated a woman with a sense of fashion.

"I know," she drawled with an elegant shrug. "If I'm going to go on some big adventure, I might as well look gorgeous while doing so."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Are we ready for take-off?" He had cleaned up as well. His dark beard had been trimmed and his robes were free of stains.

"I believe so," Satine said.

His Master smiled and after lots of protesting from the ship, it powered up, and they lifted into the air. Then Obi-Wan suddenly got chills.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

And they took off into the unknown.


	14. Fourteen

They had been in space for two weeks because the ship had no hyperdrive. It was also very, very slow. Satine was starting to see why Obi-Wan called the ship  _ Garbage. _

She didn't really mind, though. She wasn't very familiar with space, but she felt safe in their little shuttle, and she had to admit that she was scared of what awaited them on Draboon, if anything at all. So the duchess was quite content to sit in the ship and sip on alcohol every once in a while.

"Satine!" Obi-Wan called from the cockpit. "Come here, please!" She got up from the table and joined him and Qui-Gon.

"What is it?"

The Padawan pointed to their scanner and to a ship in the distance. "It appears to be a Mandalorian shuttle."

Satine gasped. Could they be New Mandalorians, seeking to help her? Or Old Mandalorians with the hopes of assassinating her? She gulped.

Qui-Gon hummed. "I'm not going to engage unless they do. In case they are Old Mandalorians."

The duchess held up a finger. "But what if—"

A voice came out of the speaker. "This is Captain Argullus of the New Mandalorian shuttle. Who is this?" Satine beamed. Was the civil war on her planet over? Had they come to take her home?

The Jedi cringed and exchanged glances before coming to a decision. "This is Master Qui-Gon Jinn and my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. What is your business?" It was silent for a moment.

"We are in search of the Duchess of Mandalore, Satine Kryze. We wish to help her and protect her from Old Mandalorians, assassins, bounty hunters, and other enemies she may have. Have you two Jedi had any contact with her?"

"No?" Obi-Wan whispered, asking his Master for the correct answer.

" _ Yes! _ " Satine insisted, balling her hands into fists. A sudden wave of hope and homesickness had washed over her.

Qui-Gon looked conflicted, a crease appearing between his two brows. He cleared his throat. "Well, um..." The duchess could tell that he was going to lie.

"I'm right here!" she exclaimed, leaning in. "Shall we board your ship?"

"It is wonderful to hear your voice again, Your Majesty. But if it is alright with you, we would like to board  _ your _ ship and speak to you. Privately."

"I—"

"Very well," interrupted the Jedi Master. Satine glowered at him. "My Padawan and I will board your ship to discuss matters with your people. The other half of your Mandalorians may come and speak with the duchess."

For a moment, there was only static over the speaker. "Perfect."

"Oh, and give us a moment, please," Qui-Gon added. Then the speaker cut off, and he whipped around to the Padawan and Satine. "We cannot trust them—"

"Yes! We can!" the duchess hissed. "They are my people—!"

"I know. I know." the Master sighed. "I know how much you miss your home, and I know that you are eager to hear about the civil war, but we must be cautious."

"We cannot let our emotions take control of the situation," Obi-Wan said, pulling on his braid.

Satine huffed. She really wanted to argue, but she knew they were right.

"Fine. What are we going to do?" She raised an eyebrow.

The Jedi Master let out a sigh of relief once the duchess agreed, and then he explained the plan.

"We can get dirt from your old boots," Qui-Gon said as they rushed down a corridor.

Satine was tying up all of her hair as she hurried behind him. "This is disgusting. There must be another way that doesn't involve me smearing  _ dirt _ all over my face."

They reached the storage room, and Qui-Gon dug Cad Bane's boots out from the bottom of a closet. "The Mandalorians will recognize you. And Jedi don't wear masks. So, the hood and the dirt should do the trick."

The duchess had put on Obi-Wan's cloak over her blouse and pants. It smelled like a warm, sunny day and pastries after you pull them out of the oven and—

Qui-Gon's filthy hands were all over her face, using the old dirt from the bottom of her boots to hide her face. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" she wailed. "I wasn't ready!"

He leaned back and nodded. "That should be good." Then he dragged her to the front of the ship right as they locked onto the Mandalorian's shuttle. "Flip your hood up, Duchess."

She did, right before the door before them opened to reveal four Mandalorians. They were wearing the signature armor, but it was red instead of the color that most of the New Mandalorians wore, blue. Satine frowned beneath her hood.

"Greetings, Jedi." They all bowed in unison.

"Duchess Satine is in the cockpit," directed Qui-Gon, pointing behind him.

"Thank you," replied the man in the front, and they walked past.

The two figures in Jedi robes walked through the tunnel and into the Mandalorian ship. It was much nicer than  _ Garbage _ . They followed the sound of voices into a small meeting room, where four more Mandalorians in dark red armor awaited them. Satine was suspicious, but she allowed herself to be hopeful.

"Ah, nice of you to join us, Master and Padawan." One of them stepped forward and took his helmet off to reveal short black hair and dark eyes. "I am Captain Argullus."

"Nice to meet you," Qui-Gon said. His blue eyes and face were calm, but Satine could tell that he was very tense.

"Please, tell us of your journey with Duchess Satine." The captain smiled. 

As the Jedi Master started talking, Satine fidgeted beneath her cloak. She wanted to rip off her hood and converse with her people like the duchess she was. She was sick of this silly charade and the nasty dirt on her face. These people were obviously kind and trustworthy. If they had wanted to kill her and the Jedi, they would have done it already, right?

Satine told herself that her emotions were having no sway over her thoughts.

"...and now we are here with you, Captain," finished Qui-Gon.

"Quite the journey," mused Argullus, drumming his fingers against his thigh. "Well—"

His comlink came to life. "Captain, we have located the duchess. You are clear to dispose of her companions."


	15. Fifteen

Obi-Wan was sitting in the captain's chair with a purple cloak draped over him that he had found in  _ Garbage's _ storage room. He had been singing in a high-pitched voice when he heard the Mandalorians enter the cockpit behind him. " _ I love Mandalore... ahhhhhh... Peace, peace, peace! _ "

"Quite the lovely voice you have there, Duchess Satine." Obi-Wan almost laughed because he knew he sounded wretched. He stopped singing and could hear all of them pulling out their guns and weapons. "Duchess?"

Obi-Wan swiveled around in the chair and ignited his lightsaber. "Hello there!" He threw off his cloak and pushed the Mandalorians back with the Force before they could recover from their surprise.

"Don't just stand there!" their leader shouted. "Attack!" The other three Mandalorians clambered to their feet and started firing their guns, closing in.

Obi-Wan slashed his saber this way and that way, dodging and ducking and using the chair for cover. "You might want to call in backup!" he called over the noise of battle. "My other Jedi friends are on their way!"

The Padawan couldn't see the Mandalorians' faces, but he could tell that he had fazed them, and that was all he needed. He used the Force again to slam them against the walls, and one of them failed to get back up. He hoped he hadn't killed him.

Then the lasers came at him again, and he deflected one into the thigh of another Mandalorian. She screamed and crumpled to the ground.  _ Tsk, tsk. Lousy armor. _

Now there were only two left.

The leader went into a panic, screaming into his comlink. "We have been tricked! Backup! We need backup!"

_ Uh-oh. _

The Padawan thrust his hand out, shoving the leader to the ground, but failed to block the laser from the last Mandalorian. He was hit in the shoulder, and Obi-Wan cried out in pain before going on the offensive. 

He knew he couldn't kill the last Mandalorian. That wasn't the Jedi way. So, he spun his blue lightsaber in front of him as fast as he could as he advanced on the big Mandalorian. And once he got close, he slashed through the gun with his saber, leaving the man defenseless.

The Mandalorian was huge, but he most certainly wasn't brave because he high-tailed it down a random corridor.

"Nice meeting you!" The Padawan called after him.

Then Obi-Wan wiped the sweat from his brow before darting into a room near the connection of the two ships just in time. Only seconds after he hid himself from view, he heard more Mandalorians charge into  _ Garbage _ . Right after they passed, the Padawan ran into their ship and closed the door.

"Satine? Master?" he called out, and came to a closed hatch. 

"We are in here! The Mandalorians locked us in," Qui-Gon hollered from the other side of the door.

Obi-Wan opened it and sighed in relief when he saw that they were both okay. "Quickly! We need to get away from them! They're all in  _ Garbage _ ."

The three of them rushed to the cockpit, which was a lot shinier than the one in  _ Garbage _ . Qui-Gon put in the coordinates of the Draboon System, and then they made the jump to hyperspace after disconnecting from their old ship.

"Phew." Obi-Wan collapsed in the co-pilot chair, wincing when his shoulder wound smarted. "We did it."

"I suppose so," the duchess mumbled behind him. The Padawan frowned.

"I'm sorry they weren't New Mandalorians, Satine," he tried, placing a hand on her knee.

She just shook her head. "Well, now I know that the war probably isn't over."

"Probably not," Obi-Wan agreed. "But you have to let your people fight it out, even if you are against violence. They are past negotiation, and we must keep you safe." He turned fully around in his chair to face her and tilted her chin up. "I don't know what I would do if any harm came to you, my dear." She smiled, her blue eyes glittering like the ocean during sunrise.

"What happened in our ship?" Qui-Gon asked.

The Padawan faced him and cleared his throat. "Well, I dealt with the Old Mandalorians and then hid in a room before coming onto this ship, which I quite like. It's shiny, and new, and doesn't make growling noises..." He gazed around in wonder. "I think I'll call her  _ Darling _ ."

His Master grinned.

"So what happened to you two?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"The Mandalorians had pulled out their weapons and had just started firing when they got the call for backup. So, they locked us in that room in order to deal with us later." Qui-Gon looked deep into Obi-Wan's eyes. "Thank you, my young Padawan. They would have killed us eventually."

The younger Jedi beamed. He had a strong connection with his Master, and relished in the compliments that he doled out. The encouragement weakened his fear of ever failing Qui-Gon.

Before he could say anything in response,  _ Darling _ exited hyperspace and entered the Draboon system. A small, green planet awaited them.

"Home, sweet home," Obi-Wan sighed.

Satine leaned forward and curled her lip. "Not hardly." 

And then Qui-Gon pressed a few buttons on the console, steering them towards their new refuge.


	16. Sixteen

_ Mandalorian armor. _

Satine and Obi-Wan had been searching the ship for food and other supplies when the duchess had stumbled upon the armor in a secret closet. She just stared at it for a while, all kinds of emotions going through her head. 

_ Should I put it on? _ she wondered.  _ We might run into trouble on this new planet. _ But it was against everything Satine stood for, everything she believed in. So the duchess shook her head and closed the door before walking outside to meet the Jedi.

This planet wasn't terrible... at least not yet. Draboon was warm and very green, the sunlight filtering in through the thick leaves and trees. They reached high into the sky and were filled with birds and other noisy creatures. The sounds didn't bother Satine, though. They were actually quite comforting. 

The group had landed the ship in a clearing near the edge of the jungle so that they were somewhat hidden, and the duchess joined Obi-Wan at the edge of the trees.

"Padawan." She poked him in his side.

"Duchess," he chuckled, nudging her with his elbow. "Qui-Gon went to make sure there are no hostile creatures or people around. And he wanted to see if there are any abandoned buildings or villages, too.

Satine sighed, looking up at the blue sky. "I miss civilization." She curled a lock of hair around her finger. "I... I miss a lot of things." 

The Padawan laid a hand on her shoulder. "Like what?"

"Well..." she glanced into his piercing blue eyes. The two were good friends now, but that didn't mean she had told him everything already. Satine decided not to hide this from him. "I used to help my mother bake sometimes." The duchess felt her knees grow weak, and she slumped onto the forest floor, Obi-Wan settling beside her. "Even though she was the Duchess of Mandalore, she loved to cook in the royal kitchens, and I loved to come with her." She rested her head on the Padawan's strong shoulder. "We would make everything. Pies, pudding, cakes, cookies, brownies... you name it." 

Obi-Wan stroked her golden hair. "That sounds wonderful," he murmured.

Satine smiled sadly. "It was... and so was ballroom dancing with my father. I would wear a big, fancy dress and shiny slippers. I was his date to every ball, and I would have to put my feet on top of his because I didn't know how to dance." The duchess laughed mirthlessly. "I think that's what I miss the most... little moments like that with my parents." Suddenly, she sat up and scooted away from the Padawan. "Sorry—I don't know why I felt the need to tell you all of that. I guess—"

"It's okay!" Obi-Wan held his hands up in a pleading gesture. "It's alright. I understand, Darling." Satine relaxed then. She didn't know how the young man beside her always managed to say the right thing. "You know... I never really knew my parents. I was taken away from them at a very young age in order to become a Jedi. I don't know where they are now or if they're even alive, but that's probably for the best, considering we Jedi aren't allowed to have attachments."

Satine furrowed her blonde brows. "Why is that? Why can the Jedi not have attachments?" 

The Padawan opened his mouth and then shut it, thinking for a moment. "I believe... I believe it is because attachments can blind us. They can stop us from doing the right thing sometimes. And because we Jedi are the protectors of the galaxy, we must always do what is right."

"Hmm," the Duchess hummed in thought. "So... you can't fall in love?" They both looked at each other then, something flashing in Obi-Wan's blue eyes.

"Well, you can," he grinned. "but you must never act upon those feelings, and you must never let those emotions take control of you."

"Wow," Satine breathed. "That must be difficult."

Obi-Wan seemed distracted for a moment. Then he laughed. "Oh, it is."

That's when rustling sounds came from the jungle, accompanied by the stomping of Qui-Gon's boots. "I didn't see anything, although there appears to be pretty big caves here and there. I don't know what's in them, so we will have to be wary."

The Padawan nodded. "Of course, Master."

Then everyone set about doing their own thing. Qui-Gon went to prepare dinner and Obi-Wan seemed to disappear. And Satine was tired, so she decided to go to bed very early, curling up on one of the mattresses in the Mandalorian ship.

It felt like she had just fallen asleep when a warm hand caressed her cheek. "Satine, my dear," someone whispered. "Wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open to reveal Obi-Wan hovering above her, his Padawan braid tickling her cheek. "What is it?" she slurred, still groggy from sleep. "What time is it?"

He smiled down at her and helped her sit up. She noticed a small bulge in the sleeve of his Jedi robes. Qui-Gon must have wrapped up his shoulder wound from the blaster. "It's just past midnight, but I need to show you something. I think you'll like it."

Satine slipped on her boots but didn't bother with tying up her hair before following Obi-Wan outside. The Padawan grasped her hand and lead her through the woods in comfortable silence. Eventually, he stopped and covered her eyes. "Don't peak," he murmured. She giggled.

He guided her several steps forward, and she heard the brush of leaves and creaking branches right before Obi-Wan uncovered her eyes. She gasped.

A small clearing lay before them, decorated with little purple, pink, red, orange, and yellow flowers, but they weren't ordinary flowers—they  _ glowed _ . A stump stood near the edge of the clearing, and two logs were placed near it. One of the logs had a little metal disk on it, and when Obi-Wan pressed a button, soft, beautiful music flowed from the device.

"Do you like it?" he beamed at her hopefully, and she threw her arms around his neck.

"Yes!" she squealed. "It's wonderful!" She let go of his and gazed into his ocean blue eyes. They seemed to shift like waves in a storm, but why? What was he struggling with?

He rubbed the back of his neck and threw a shy smile her way. "I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. The baking and the ballrooms... so, I tried to make a ballroom for you."

"Well, I love it!" Satine gushed, twirling around. She had gone from tired to ecstatic, twirling around in her night dress that she had found on the ship. "This is even better than the royal ballroom."

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Shall we dance, then, my dear duchess?"

She dropped into a curtsy before taking up his offer. "Indeed, we shall."

And that's what they did. They spun in time to the music, coming together and fanning apart, throwing their hands up into the night sky and catching each other in their arms. The duchess had improved greatly from when she was a child, and she was surprised that the Padawan could keep up with her.

"Where did you learn to dance?" she inquired as Obi-Wan dipped her low to the forest floor, his strong arms grasping her waist.

"I take it upon myself to learn useful things," he smirked lifted her back up so that their faces were almost touching. 

"I can tell," Satine responded, but she was suddenly lost in thought. She wasn't in the jungle anymore—instead she was in the Mandalorian Palace, prancing about with her father, who had blue eyes just like Obi-Wan. He smiled down at her, telling her everything would be okay before turning to dust, his ashes fluttering around the ballroom.

"Satine? Satine?" something was patting her cheek, and the duchess came back to her senses. She could feel the rivers of tears flowing down her face. "Why are you crying?" 


	17. Seventeen

"I..." Satine's eyes bored into his, the moonlight playing on the planes of her beautiful face. "I want to tell you what happened to my parents. I've never told anyone before, but I want to tell you."

For a split second, Obi-Wan was at a loss for words. "Alright," he finally whispered.

The duchess seemed to struggle for a moment, and then she released a shaky sigh. "They were assassinated. Right before my eyes. I was with my sister, Bo-Katan when it happened, and we were both around eleven years old. It was late at night, and we were supposed to be in the safe room, although we didn't know why at the time. But my sister and I were curious, so we decided to sneak out, and we hid in an alcove near my parents' room." She closed her eyes then, her long eyelashes resting against her cheeks. "We heard voices inside the room and peaked through one of the vents. There were Mandalorians in there, standing over my sleeping parents with blasters aimed at them. They woke my parents up and demanded that they stop pushing for peace. My parents were pacifists, too. I'm not the first one." Obi-Wan nodded, squeezing her hand.

"My parents were brave, and they refused. So the Mandalorians simply shot them, right in front of me. Bo-Katan and I were too shocked to do or say anything. We just sat in the dark hallway, watching as my parents—" She choked on her tears then, her face contorting into a pained expression.

"That's terrible, Satine," Obi-Wan murmured as he pulled her closer to his chest. She just sniffled.

"After that night, Bo-Katan swore that she would avenge them. She swore that she would hunt those Mandalorians down and give them a painful death. And she did, eventually. But I swore that I would avenge my parents by honoring their beliefs as the new Duchess of Mandalore." She seemed to harden a little bit in Obi-Wan's arms. "You see, no one knew that I saw what happened that night, and I had to arrest the assassins myself because no one else cared. More than half of the nobles were neutral or were in league with the people who killed my parents. And those nobles tried to manipulate me, seeing as I was at such a young age, and I would obviously need an advisor before I was of age. Well, I played their little game, but one by one, I framed the nobles who were against me and got them thrown in prison. I turned them against each other until there was no one left. That's when I was finally able to arrest the assassins and construct a new court full of people who supported peace. Of course, Bo-Katan infiltrated the prison shortly after and murdered the assassins. I haven't seen her since..."

"Wow," Obi-Wan breathed. No wonder the duchess was so passionate about peace. No wonder she was so hesitant to trust and so hard on the outside. "I'm glad you told me, Satine. And I believe you made the right decision."

"You do?" she sniffled, gazing up at him. The Padawan realized just how close they were, then, even though he should probably be focusing on more important things.

"Yes," he reassured her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I want to make a joke right now to make you feel better, but I can't think of one..."

Satine giggled. " _ You _ , Obi-Wan Kenobi, don't need a joke to make me feel better."

"Well, then what do I need?" he rasped, his eyes flickering to her soft lips.

Something in the duchess changed, and it felt like she had suddenly melted like butter in his hands. "I..." Her eyelids fluttered as her sky blue eyes roved over his face, and her pink lips parted, opening doors that should stay closed.

Their foreheads were glued together. Their noses were brushing up against each other like butterflies. Their bodies were melded together perfectly. There was just one more thing that had yet to touch.

He could feel her warm breath against his face. He barely registered the golden locks of hair tickling his cheeks. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? What did he  _ want _ to do?

_ Kiss her _ , he thought with such clarity.  _ I want to kiss Satine Kryze. _

Slowly, he inched his lips closer to hers. Closer and closer, until they were only a breath away.

"Satine," he whispered.

"Mm?" she hummed, her perfect lips pressed against each other, her eyes closed and her eyebrows raised high, waiting.

He was about to meld their lips together when a voice demanded his attention in his head. 

_ No. _

It took all of his willpower to lean back, and he bopped her nose with his finger. Her eyes mirrored his disappointment, and he flashed her a fake smile.  _ It is not the Jedi way _ , he told himself.  _ It is for the best. _

"How would you like to sleep under the stars tonight?"


	18. Eighteen

"What?" Satine rasped, taking a step back. She had no idea what Obi-Wan had said, and she had no idea what had just happened.  _ Was he about to kiss her? Did she imagine everything? _ But most importantly...  _ did she _ want  _ the Padawan to kiss her? _

"I asked you if you wanted to sleep under the stars, right here in this little clearing." He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Of course, we don't have to. That's perfectly fine—"

"I would love to," the duchess interrupted, trying to forget everything that had just happened. It was probably nothing. They were simply friends, after all... right? Satine ignored all the voices screaming at her in her head. "I hope the forest floor isn't too dirty for your Jedi robes, Padawan."

Obi-Wan smirked at her as he lay down on the ground, close to her, but not too close.  _ Why was she even noticing these things? _ "You're one to talk." 

She pretended to scoff, and they chatted for a while before she fell asleep with her back to him. It was as if the 'almost-kiss' never happened at all.

When she woke up, the sun was quite high in the sky, and there was a strong arm on top of her accompanied by an even stronger chest pressed against her back. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink before she tried to wiggle her way out of Obi-Wan's reach. But he murmured in his sleep and tugged her closer. She froze, and then finally melted into him. What could it hurt?

And so the Duchess of Mandalore and the Padawan slept under the stars for a little longer than two months. Simply as friends, of course. Nothing more. Satine refused to believe that she was in love with the young Jedi, and she was absolutely positive that he harbored no such feelings for her.

The group probably should have kept on the move and hidden on another planet, but Satine and Obi-Wan had begged Qui-Gon to stay. Everyone was happy on Draboon, and there appeared to be no threats. Satine hoped it would stay that way.

Their life on the jungle planet was similar to how it was on Tatooine, albeit a lot cleaner. It was nice having the ship to take showers in and sleep in when it was storming, and it rained quite a bit on Draboon. It often made Satine's hair very frizzy, much to her dismay.

There were other things that were different, too. It had never been awkward between Obi-Wan and Satine on Tatooine, but the same thing couldn't be said about Draboon. It was as if the two were being pulled in different directions, as if there were some unspoken thing between them.

Sometimes they would gaze into each others' eyes instead of looking at the stars. Every once in a while, Obi-Wan would start to say something to Satine, but then he seemed unable to finish the thought. The duchess didn't know what to think of it all.

Yet they never tried to kiss again. Satine told herself that she didn't want to kiss the Padawan. She often scolded herself, telling herself that it was for the best. It was delusional to believe that a Jedi and a duchess could be together.

So, Satine tried her best to act normal around Obi-Wan, and she was pretty sure he had to put in a lot of effort to do the same. And even though there was a strange rift between the two, their friendship never faded. 

Tonight, Obi-Wan and Satine were sleeping in the moonlight when a storm seemed to appear out of nowhere. They both squealed and leapt to their feet when it started sprinkling. 

"Get to the ship!" Satine giggled.

"We can't!" laughed Obi-Wan as they huddled under the leaves of a tree, which didn't do much for cover. "Qui-Gon took  _ Darling _ for another spin around the planet, just to make sure no creatures have decided to join us or something like that."

"Shit!" cursed the duchess. Obi-Wan glared at her. "Sorry," she chuckled. "Well, maybe we can hide in the caves nearby! Last time Qui-Gon checked them, they were safe, so let's go!"

"Alright!" Obi-Wan grinned, and the two of them pranced through the forest as the rain got a little harder. Then lighting flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Uh-oh," Satine said, but honestly, she wasn't frightened. She always felt safe with the Padawan by her side, and the adventure made her feel giddy with excitement.

"Not to worry, my dear!" Obi-Wan shouted over the wind. "We shall not die on this dreadful night!"

The duchess giggled as she leapt over a tree root and ducked below a branch. "Oh, woe is me! For I do not believe you, young Jedi!"

Obi-Wan tried to contain his laughter. "I swear to thee, my words ring true! I—" Then he ran smack into a tree trunk.

"Oh, no!" Satine rushed over to him. "Are you okay—?" The Padawan started cackling, and the duchess joined in.

"I'm fine!" he assured her, wiping the water from his face while he gasped for breath, and Satine did the same. "Come on! There's no point of hiding from the rain if we're already soaking wet!" He sprinted off, and the young lady followed close behind as the thunder chased them through the woods, getting louder and louder.

"There! I see the caves!" Satine shouted right after the lightning illuminated the rocks before them. Then another lightning bolt cracked through the night sky and connected with the ground only feet away from the duchess. "Ah!" she screamed, stumbling into Obi-Wan right before they tumbled into the cave.

"Ow!" the Padawan yelped as they rolled to a stop on the cold stone. The two of them just sat there for a few seconds, gasping for breath. Then they burst into laughter. "You should have seen your face!" Obi-Wan shouted, pointing a finger at Satine's nose. "You looked scared to death!"

"Well, I was!" she retorted, shoving him in the shoulder. "At least I'm not the one who looks like a rat that just came out of the sewer." She smirked and ran a hand through his wet hair.

"Hey!" he cried, batting at her hand. "I—" Suddenly, Obi-Wan tilted his head and held up a finger. "Did you hear that?"

Satine froze. "Hear what?"

But Obi-Wan didn't need to respond. The growls that reverberated in the deep, dark cave were answer enough.


	19. Nineteen

_ Oh, dear. _ "Satine, run!" Obi-Wan shouted, whipping out his lightsaber just before venom-mites came tumbling out from deep within the cave. They were hideous creatures with rows upon rows of sharp, jagged teeth and angry, black eyes. Their bodies almost seemed like those of a large lizard, but their numerous legs reminded the Padawan of spiders. They seemed to crawl like spiders, too, and they were gaining ground fast.

Even though it only took Obi-Wan a few seconds to take all of this in, he was not quick enough to react. The venom-mites were upon them within moments, snarling and screeching.

_ I can't let them block our escape _ , Obi-Wan thought, so he thrust his arm out and pushed the creatures into the walls of the cave. Satine screamed as the force of the collision caused rocks and boulders to crash to the ground all around them.

"Satine! You were supposed to run—!" Obi-Wan started, but was cut off by an agonizing sound. A rock had landed on her leg, and the duchess was crumpled on the ground. "No!" the Padawan roared, and a huge wave of anger washed over him. He flexed his fingers, lifting the boulder with the Force before hurling it into the onslaught of venom-mites. 

Then he shoved his lightsaber into his coat and gathered Satine into his arms as fast as he could. "It's alright, my dear." he panted. "I've got you." Some of the arthropods seemed dead, but others were arousing themselves, and more were clawing their way into Obi-Wan's part of the cave. 

The Padawan snarled and brought the cave down around him with a clenched fist, barely escaping the cave before it collapsed. And then he kept running because he knew it would not keep the venom-mites at bay.

The thunder rumbled above them and the lighting crashed around them and the rain lashed out, burning Obi-Wan's eyes as he struggled to keep the duchess on his shoulder. He had just entered the woods near the caves when he heard screeching behind him. The arthropods had found a way out, and they were hungry. 

"Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan screamed into his comlink as he slipped over the leaves on the forest floor. 

"What is it, my Padawan?" the young Jedi could hear the strain in his voice.

"Come pick us up,  _ now! _ " Obi-Wan cried, and Satine moaned. "We are in between the base and the caves!"

"What happened?" his Master demanded.

The creatures were getting closer. "Venom-mites!" the Padawan cried. He didn't think he had ever been this terrified in his life. He whipped his head around and cursed when he realized the monsters were mere feet away. One tried to snap at him with its sharp teeth, and Obi-Wan pushed it back with the Force. But this caused him to lose his grip on Satine, and they tumbled to the ground.

She landed on a fallen branch and let out a painful wail, and Obi-Wan grimaced. They would not die this night. He would do anything to protect the duchess, even if it meant sacrificing himself before Qui-Gon could arrive. So the Padawan flung himself into the air, using his feet to kick the head of one venom-mite. It growled and reared back as Obi-Wan flipped in the air, and he took his stance in front of his duchess.

Then he threw out both of his hands, sending all of the creatures flying into trees. There had to be about twenty of them, if not more, and Obi-Wan would take on all of them if he had to. A gash had appeared on his forehead from his fall and the rocks, the blood mixing with the merciless rain. He wiped his face and spat blood on the forest floor. "Who's next?" he sneered.

The venom-mites screeched in response, their dark blue bodies flashing through the forest as they came for him. But right before one of them pounced on top of Obi-Wan,  _ Darling _ crashed through the trees and shot down many of the creatures with blue lasers. 

Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief, even though the fight was not over. He could hear more arthropods over the roar of thunder and the crack of lightning.

"Come on!" Qui-Gon shouted. The ship was floating several feet above the Padawan because it was too large to fit in between the thick trees, but that hadn't stopped  _ Darling _ from knocking down a few of them.

The Padawan swiftly bent over and threw Satine to his Master with the Force, and together, the two Jedi kept the duchess in the air until she was safely in Qui-Gon's arms.

"Watch out!" the older Jedi warned, and Obi-Wan slashed through one of the venom-mites with his lightsaber before jumping onto  _ Darling _ . "Are you alright?" Qui-Gon asked, hurriedly closing the door of the ship.

"Yes, but Satine is the one who matters right now," Obi-Wan rasped and bent down by the duchess. She was curled up on the cold floor, and tears were streaming down her dusty face. There was a deep gash in her thigh from the branch she had landed on, causing blood to pool around her. The Padawan growled. "I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have—"

"It's alright," Satine whispered, reaching up to cup Obi-Wan's cheek with her dirty hand. "I'm alive. You saved me." The young Jedi smiled down at her, a tear landing on Satine's face.

"Well," Qui-Gon sighed. "I think it's time to leave this planet." He patted his Padawan on the back. "I'll go get bandages." Then he walked off.

"I thought we were going to die," Obi-Wan murmured and leaned into Satine's touch.

Her blue eyes glimmered like the hottest flame. "Not me," she responded with a weak smile. "I knew we we would survive... because if we died, I wouldn't get to do this." The Duchess of Mandalore pushed herself up and curled her fingers around the nape of the Padawan's neck. Then she parted her lips, but she didn't need to meld their lips together. Because Obi-Wan Kenobi did that for her.

Her pink lips were so soft, so gentle, and he was exactly the same, perfectly in sync with her. It was not a hungry kiss; it was more curious, more like exploring. The two had become voyagers, meandering through new oceans. Beautiful oceans.

Obi-Wan knew he should not be doing this. He knew it was against the Jedi code, but he had almost lost Satine, and he had to make sure she was really here in his arms. He had to make sure she felt the same about him.

Slowly, their lips parted for breath, and Satine smirked up at him. "You may be a fantastic kisser, Obi, but you might want to get better at carrying girls through lightning storms."

He laughed lightly and curled his fingers in her golden hair. "I'm sorry, Satine. Truly, I am. You must be in so much pain—"

"I don't want to talk about that right now," the duchess pleaded, shaking her head. "I want to talk about... this thing between us." She pressed her forehead against his. Obi-Wan bit his lip.

"I don't know what to say," he whispered. The Padawan longed for this moment to last forever, but he knew Qui-Gon would arrive with bandages soon. He knew that one day Satine would go back to Mandalore and he might never see her again. "What I  _ do _ know, is that we can't do...  _ this _ , no matter how much we want to. Maybe in a different world, but not this one..."

Satine's dazzling eyes squeezed shut. "I know. Yet... maybe there is a way." She leaned back slightly and beamed at him. "Maybe the Jedi Order can station you on Mandalore, and you can stay at the palace, and—"

"Satine." Obi-Wan gently grasped her chin and tilted her face up. "Those are delusions, figments of your imagination. And unfortunately, they will stay that way. We are not dreamers, my darling. We are leaders and examples for the galaxy."

The duchess frowned, a tiny crease appearing between her slender brows. "It doesn't have to be that way." But they both knew that wasn't true. She glared up at him, although the Padawan suspected that the anger was not directed at him. It was anger for the world, the rules, and the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan also harbored the same contempt sometimes.

His lips tilted up in a sad smile. "Why are you so beautiful when you're mad?" Satine reluctantly grinned back, and Obi-Wan brushed his lips against hers. They tasted of rain and dirt, but there was a hint of sweetness there, too, and the Padawan wanted more.

"I thought you said we couldn't do this?" the duchess murmured against his lips, her warm breath washing over him.

Obi-Wan caressed her mouth with his thumb. "Just one last time, then."


	20. Twenty

Satine had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like years. She hadn't realized how much she had wanted to kiss the Padawan until it actually happened.

It felt like a huge dam within her had crumbled, and now all of the water was flowing free. Unfortunately, she had to pull apart from Obi-Wan right before Qui-Gon walked in. One would think that retrieving bandages shouldn't usually take so long.

Qui-Gon smiled down at them and set the bandages on the floor. "I hope you two are feeling better." Did Satine imagine the implication in his voice? "Do you want me to stay here and help fix you up?"

Obi-Wan and the duchess exchanged a glance. Then the Padawan cleared his throat and grinned up at the older Jedi. "I think we'll be quite all right, Master."

Qui-Gon chuckled and shrugged his broad shoulders. "Very well. If you need anything, I'll be in the cockpit." He turned and walked through the threshold, the door sliding closed behind him.

"That was close," Satine breathed as Obi-Wan started preparing the bandages.

"Indubitably," he murmured before glancing up at her. "You first, darling."

The duchess took in the huge gash on her right thigh. "Um, how are we going to...?"

Obi-Wan smirked up at her, his blue eyes flashing. "I'll have to rip off a lot of the fabric so that I can wrap the bandages around your leg." He gently placed his warm hand on her thigh. "May I?"

Satine nodded, thinking about how painful the wound was and how scandalous it was for a Padawan to be all over the thighs of a duchess. Her kisses with the Jedi had distracted her from the pain for a while, but now the wound was starting to burn and her whole leg ached terribly.

She sucked in a breath when Obi-Wan ripped her trousers with his hands, leaving only a little bit of fabric to hide more private parts of the body. Satine's cheeks started turning red, and she was pleased to find that the Padawan had gone pink as well.

"This um, this might leave a scar, my dear," he whispered, his rough hands and clever fingers brushing against her bare skin.

"Hmm," she hummed. Suddenly, the pain wasn't so bad anymore. "You'll have to find some way to repay me for that."

He tightened the bandage and looked up at her. "I would give you all the gifts in the galaxy, if I could, Satine."

She leaned in and planted a kiss on his nose. "I already have the best gift in the galaxy. Now sit still so I can clean you up." The duchess seethed as she sat up, pain shooting up her leg. A rock had fallen on her calf in the cave, but it wasn't broken, just badly bruised.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan worried, grabbing her arm to give her support.

"I would be better if it weren't for you," she teased, and the Padawan rolled his eyes.

"I try to be romantic and you laugh in my face," he sighed. "Maybe I just won't give you any more kisses." He threw a very naughty grin her way, the blood from his forehead trickling down his cheek. Satine realized just then that the two of them probably looked very...  _ messy _ , and not just because of the venom-mites. She hoped that Qui-Gon hadn't noticed.

"Well, I shall have to seduce you then. And you won't be able to resist the urge to shower me in kisses." She smirked at him and dabbed at his wound with a wet rag.

"By all means," Obi-Wan drawled. "I'd like to see you try."

Satine giggled, and they finished up the work in comfortable silence, her soft fingers caressing his face as she bandaged his forehead. The duchess was happy in this moment, but deep down, there was a well of sadness because she knew that this romantic affair would have to end. They told each other that their kisses in that little room would be the last ones, for they were aware that every new kiss would make it harder and harder for them to part when the time came. Yet there were many more  _ 'one last times' _ over the next several months.

They traveled from planet to planet in  _ Darling _ , stealing kisses behind Qui-Gon's back and clasping hands while running away from bounty hunters like Cad Bane. Some nights on the ship, Satine would sneak into Obi-Wan's room and curl up in his arms, and other nights, the Padawan would tip-toe into her room and press his strong chest against her back. Every time, they told each other that it would not happen again, that they would stop this nonsense, but they never did.

At one point during their adventure, they stopped on a beautiful planet called Zimbola in the Outer Rim. It was abundant with glittering waterfalls and lazy rivers and trees of all colors. Some were purple and others were a bright orange, and they were all filled with kind, little creatures with big eyes.

One night, the Padawan and the duchess decided to go for a walk and stumbled across rainbow berries that Obi-Wan insisted were edible.

"Are you sure?" Satine asked. But it was hard for her to concentrate on the danger of eating unknown berries when the moonlight was playing on Obi-Wan's handsome face.

"Yes!" he insisted, popping one into his mouth. "I've read about them before." Then the duchess stuck out her tongue, and the Padawan plopped a berry on top of it.

"Mmm..." she purred, her eyes rolling back into her head. The colorful, Zimbolan berries were so sweet, and they almost tasted like chocolate. "These are better than the sweets I used to make on Mandalore."

Obi-Wan just stared at her for a minute, and then he burst out laughing, stuffing his face with more berries.  _ What was wrong with him? _

"Obi? Are you okay—" But suddenly, Satine was giggling, too, and she felt the strong urge to eat more berries. So she grabbed a handful and threw them in her mouth before hurling them at Obi-Wan.

"Oh, you'll pay for that!" he shouted, and the two started a game of dodge-ball with the little fruits, running around the berry bushes in their night clothes. She felt more alive than ever, but at the same time, she felt as if she were in another world. Nothing felt real. Everything was cupcakes and rainbows... and Obi-Wan.  _ Obi-Wan. _

She ran at him and tackled him to the ground in a heap of blue silk and white robes. His pupils were big, almost swallowing up the magnificent blue of his eyes, and he was gasping for breath.

"Satine," he breathed. "You naughty girl." Her hands were planted on the ground beside his golden head, and she grinned down at him, her hair cascading around his perfect face.

Some voice deep inside told her to calm down and take control of herself. Something was telling her that this was  _ wrong _ . But she ignored that voice, and she let the berries take control, putting one in Obi-Wan's mouth.

"You're so damn beautiful," she whispered, placing her bottom on his stomach and splaying her legs around his head.

"Not as beautiful as  _ you, _ " the Padawan responded before grasping her slim waist with his strong hands. Before placing his hands other places. Before using those clever hands to reveal soft, white skin.

The colorful trees swayed above the Duchess of Mandalore and the Padawan, turning their wooden backs to give them privacy as the two became voyagers on an ocean once again, this time exploring farther than ever before. And the plump white moon smiled down on them, pitying them but happy for them.

When their exploration came to an end, the two slowly fell asleep against each other, content as can be. Thankfully, the two had the sense to cover themselves up in silks and robes once more. Not for modesty, but because the night was growing cold.

Finally, the sun told the moon that she could rest, and Satine awoke with a splitting headache.

"Ugh," she groaned, and pressed her fingers to her temples. "Obi-Wan... where are we?"

The Padawan sat up and moaned, massaging his head. "What?"

Satine looked around before sighing in relief, glad to know that she was safe. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan frowned, a crease appearing between his brows. "I... I don't know." He pulled on his Padawan braid for a minute. "We... we were on a walk, right? And then... Oh! And then we ate some berries... and..."

The two sat there, trying to remember. Then Satine gasped. "They were probably poisonous!" The jabbed Obi-Wan in the chest with her finger. "Those berries probably knocked us out!"

The young Jedi just laughed nervously and shrugged. "Oops."

Satine scoffed. "And to think you said they were edible..."

The two eventually found their way back to  _ Darling _ , and Qui-Gon greeted them, puzzling over their dirty clothes. "What happened to you two?" he inquired.

Obi-Wan just laughed. "We have no idea!"

The Jedi Master narrowed his eyes for a second. "Well, it doesn't matter right now. What  _ does _ matter is the news I have just received from the Jedi Council." The group walked into the cockpit and sat down in their chairs. "They want us to go to Mandalore!"

"Really?" Satine gasped. Even though she was happy, she still missed Mandalore and worried over its well-being. She still wished that she could be there, ending the civil war with diplomacy. 

"Yes!" Qui-Gon grinned, pressing a few buttons on the console. "We are to leave immediately to meet the leader of the New Mandalorians. Apparently, their original leader has died in battle, and this new leader is excited to meet with you, Duchess."

"Do we know who it is?" she asked.

"No, but according to the news I got, he has improved our chances of winning the war greatly. I don't think we need to be worried about who it is."

"Great," Satine replied, but she wasn't sure how she felt about all of this. She was glad that she was finally going back to Mandalore, but was the man she was to meet with violent? Ruthless? Or was he winning the war with clever words and diplomacy? She supposed she would find out soon enough.

It didn't take long to get to her planet with their jump to hyperspace, and her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she laid eyes on Mandalore.  _ It's been so long _ , she thought, tears springing to life in her eyes. The duchess wasn't sure why, but she was very passionate about Mandalore. Maybe because of her parents. Maybe because it gave her a purpose.

"Do you know where exactly we're going, Master?" Obi-Wan wondered as they flew high in the sky, far away from the tall buildings and bridges below. And the... fires? Satine squinted down at a burning tower and the rubble next to it, an angry beast stirring inside of her.  _ This damn war is destroying my Mandalore. _

"Of course," Qui-Gon said, his blue eyes roving over the landscape. "We are to meet at a base right outside of this city." He flipped some switches on the ship before they started going down to the ground.

There were big trees all around them, except for right in front of the group, where a squat, rectangular building lay. Satine's heart was pounding in her chest, and Obi-Wan seemed to notice her excitement and anxiety and anger.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "It's going to be alright, my sweet duchess."

She gulped and nodded, thankful for his support. She didn't know why she was so nervous, but she  _ was _ aware of her fear. Any Old Mandalorians could attempt an assassination any second, even though they were wearing disguises.

They arrived at the steel doors, and they slid open to reveal a face Satine knew very well.

"Hello, my lovely fiancé."


	21. Twenty One

Obi-Wan blinked up at the man who had just spoken. " _ Fiancé?! _ " he finally sputtered.

The big man smiled down at him, although his grin seemed more wolfish than kind. He was tall, muscular, and encased in dark blue Mandalorian armor. He had prying grey eyes and pale skin, partially covered by his tidy, blond beard. The giant looked to be around thirty, only about seven years older than Obi-Wan and Satine, but he seemed so...  _ intimidating. _

"Yes!" he chortled, clapping Obi-Wan on the shoulder. It felt more like the man was trying to shove him into the earth. "Has Satine not told you two Jedi? I am Rolf Digenbrow, and I've been Satine's betrothed for years now! I only recently proposed." He took a step forward, cupping Satine's face in his big hand, and something revolting rolled through Obi-Wan. Was that jealousy?

Rolf grinned and waved them inside. "Come in! Come in! And we can talk business!" The Padawan felt detached from his body as he stumbled over the threshold. He wasn't even able to take in the stone and steel all around them, nor the stairs leading up to a huge, black throne in front of them. He could feel Satine trying to catch his eye, but he found that he couldn't move his eyes from his brown boots.  _ How could she not tell him? _

"It is so nice to finally meet you two!" Rolf babbled as they walked down the aisle in the middle of the room. "I've been so worried about my lovely Satine, but she seems to be in good hands. What are your names?"

Qui-Gon smiled and shook hands with Rolf. "Qui-Gon Jinn."

Then Digenbrow turned to Obi-Wan. "And you?" But the Padawan couldn't move. He just stood there, panicking. "Hello?" Rolf seemed to settle for patting the young Jedi on the head. "What, has this one gone mute?" He started laughing at his own joke.

_ No, _ Obi-Wan thought.  _ I will not be laughed at by this man. _ "Obi-Wan—" His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, pounding his chest. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Ah! So he speaks!" Rolf chortled and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Come! You all must be so hungry after your long journey. Let us feast!" Digenbrow strutted though a side entrance, and Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Satine followed after him. There were New Mandalorians all around them, some in light blue armor and others in navy. Obi-Wan wondered what the duchess thought of all of this, but when he risked a glance her way, he couldn't maintain eye contact for longer than a second.

They finally arrived in a huge dining room with several long, steel tables, and the Padawan had to admit that the food on top of them looked delicious, even though he felt like he was going to vomit. "Sit down, sit! Please! I do hope the food is to your liking!" Rolf collapsed into the metal chair at the head of the table, and the rest of them gathered around him.

"This is a very nice base you have," Qui-Gon remarked before popping some fruit into his mouth.

"Ah, yes, thank you!" Digenbrow beamed. "Since I became the general after Mudkani—may he rest in peace—I have modified our base to the best of my abilities. And although it was expensive, it has been worth it! The war has actually been tipping in our favor, and that is why we have called you here." He took a huge bite out of a chicken wing.

"I see," Qui-Gon murmured. "And why weren't we called to Mandalore sooner? I'm simply curious."

Rolf attacked his mouth with a napkin and gulped down some wine before answering. "Well, General Mudkani did not want to get you involved, and he thought it was best that the duchess stay far away from Mandalore. But I believe that you two Jedi can help us win this civil war! Also, I like to keep my possessions close to me." He winked at Satine, and she glared at her untouched food. Did she actually love Rolf? Did Rolf love her? Obi-Wan couldn't tell what was going on here.

His Master nodded. "Well, I'm glad that—"

"I don't like this!" Satine shouted, banging her fist on the table.  _ There she is. _ Obi-Wan was wondering why she had been so unusually quiet. " _ How _ exactly are these Jedi going to help win the war? I hope you don't mean for them to  _ fight _ because they. Are.  _ Jedi. _ They are  _ peacekeepers _ , like me! They will not fight—"

" _ Actually, _ " Qui-Gon interrupted. "We have not decided whether we will fight or not. And General Digenbrow hasn't even told us what he has in mind. Please, continue, General."

Rolf chuckled, gazing fondly at Satine. "Ah, that's what I love about my little Kryze. So full of fire, even though she is a pacifist." Obi-Wan thought Satine might leap out of her chair and strangle the big man at that moment. He wished he knew what Qui-Gon was thinking, but his Master was not revealing anything, his face simply content. "And I know that you Jedi are lovers of peace, as well. However," Rolf cleared his throat. "I heard that you, Qui-Gon Jinn, aren't particularly a stickler for the rules. Or should I say, the Jedi Code?"

Obi-Wan waited for his Master to reply, but he took his time stroking his beard. "I have to admit that I do not wholeheartedly agree with everything about the Jedi Code," he finally responded. "However, that does not mean that I am prone to violence, nor does it mean that I am eager to break the rules."

"Of course, of course," General Digenbrow agreed. "We would not ask you to necessarily  _ kill _ anyone on the opposing side of this war. All we ask is that you disarm the Old Mandalorians and deliver them to my secret prison. That is what we do, as well. We New Mandalorians try our best to reduce casualties on both sides."

Obi-Wan highly doubted that. "How many casualties have there been?" he asked hesitantly.

Rolf did not answer right away. "Hundreds of New Mandalorians."

"And what about the Old Mandalorians?" Obi-Wan raised a brow. He was starting to feel more like himself.

The general averted his grey eyes and scratched his blond head, where the hair was cut short. "The Old Mandalorians have lost a few more than us."

Satine's nostrils flared. "That is bullshit! There should not be that many Mandalorians dying!" She stood up and slammed her palms down on the table, reigning hellfire on her poor betrothed. "I don't care if they want to kill me or if they want to worship me! They are Mandalorians all the same, and they can be converted with diplomacy!" 

All three men went silent, staring warily at the Duchess of Mandalore. Obi-Wan wanted to be on her side, but he knew he couldn't agree with Satine just to please her. They had had the same conversation over and over again. All of the Mandalorians were past the point of diplomacy.

"Satine—" Obi-Wan started.

" _ My _ duchess," Rolf interrupted, placing his hand on top of hers. She yanked her fingers away, her cheeks red with anger. "You must know by now that that is not an option. The Mandalorians  _ wanted _ to fight it out, they  _ have _ been fighting, and they  _ will _ finish fighting."

Satine glowered at him and clenched her fists, but she stayed silent.

Qui-Gon sighed. "I'm afraid I have to agree with the general." He ran a hand through his long, dark hair. "I shall fight for the New Mandalorians, General Digenbrow. However, I cannot speak for my Padawan. That is his decision alone."

Rolf's lips parted in that wolfish grin, and Satine's eyes flashed to Qui-Gon, her face the perfect representation of feeling betrayed. Obi-Wan hated it.

"What do you say, Padawan?" Digenbrow inquired. "Will you fight for a New Mandalore and rid this planet of corruption, or will you stand by, letting it fall into the hands of endless violence." Satine opened her mouth to retort, but Rolf held up a huge hand. "I know, I know. I am deploying violence right now, seeing as I am a general in the midst of a war. But this is  _ temporary _ violence. It can  _ end _ , with your help, Kenobi."

Obi-Wan didn't know what to say. Should he follow in the footsteps of his Master, or should he respect his morals and Satine's wishes. He glanced up at her then, and refused to ignore the pleading look in her magnificent blue eyes.

"Please, Obi..." she whispered across the table.

He looked down, tugging hard on his braid. "I need to think about it," he finally answered. Satine released a breath, and Rolf simply hummed.

"If that is what you wish." Digenbrow took one last sip of wine and slammed the empty bottle on the table. "That is all then. Nee-Chaka will show you to your rooms." A small woman in light blue armor waved at them from by the wall, her blond braids swinging around.

"Thank you for your hospitality, General," Qui-Gon said as he got up from the table and followed after Nee-Chaka.

"My pleasure," Rolf responded. Obi-Wan started following his Master and the duchess when the general came up behind him and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Just a moment,  _ Padawan _ ."

Obi-Wan curled his lip, but when he turned around to meet the eyes of Digenbrow, he was all smiles. "What can I do for you,  _ General?" _ It felt good to be sassy again. He wasn't afraid of this man, and he wasn't scared of the prospect of him being Satine's fiancé. Surely, she would explain everything later... right?

"I'd like for you to answer a question for me." Digenbrow smiled hungrily, as if he were about to eat Obi-Wan. Alright, maybe he was just a  _ little _ bit frightened. "Do you love my future wife?"

The young Jedi blinked in surprise and reeled back. "What? No!" That was  _ not  _ what he was expecting.  _ But how did the general know? _

Rolf sneered and leaned in. "Don't  _ lie _ to me,  _ Padawan, _ " he growled.

_ Oh, so this was how it was going to be? _

Obi-Wan stood up tall and tried to look down his nose at the man towering above him. "I am not in love with your betrothed, General. And I will never be. Jedi are not allowed to have feelings."

Rolf Digenbrow chuckled mirthlessly. "I see. Well, then you should have no problem fighting in this war, seeing as Satine's wishes should have no sway over you, and the Jedi Council has approved of my decision to let you fight."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "Just because I don't love the duchess doesn't mean I don't care what she thinks."

"Let me put it  _ this _ way..." Digenbrow stepped closer to the Padawan and lowered his voice. "If you do not help me win this war, I will murder Satine Kryze, whether you love her or not."

The young Jedi froze, trying to process this information, trying to decide the best way to reply, but all he could think about was Satine. Was she safe? Would Rolf actually hurt her? "Why?" was all Obi-Wan could manage. Then a sudden bolt of anger struck him, and he shoved the general in his chest. " _ Why _ would you harm Satine? Don't you love her?"

Obi-Wan was breathing hard, sweat appearing on his upper lip, but General Digenbrow was just chuckling. The Padawan wanted to punch him. "Oh, yes, I  _ do _ love the duchess." He dusted off his armor as if Obi-Wan had some disease. "I just love victory more."

The Jedi curled his lip. "You are vile."

The general barred his teeth. "Think what you like, but know that I would sacrifice  _ anything _ to win this war and become the Duke. The New Mandalorians will praise me after I hand them victory on a silver platter, and I really don't care if the duchess is there to celebrate with me. If she dies, maybe I can find someone more... competent to wed."

Obi-Wan was shaking from fear. From anger. From emotions he shouldn't be feeling. Emotions that shouldn't be controlling him. He took a deep breath. "I don't believe it. I'll tell Qui-Gon. I'll tell the Jedi Council! I—"

"Do you really think that your little Jedi tricks can defeat me? Can defeat thousands of Mandalorians? If you so much as lift a finger against me, Padawan, Duchess Satine will die. She will die before any of your  _ friends _ can get here to help you."

Obi-Wan clenched his fists, barely restraining himself from slamming Rolf up against a wall with the Force. He could disarm the Mandalorian within seconds, but he knew the New Mandalorians along the walls of the room would be on him in a heartbeat. It was obvious that they were loyal to their general. There was nothing the Padawan could do.

"Give me an answer, Padawan. I'm usually a patient man, but I find I'm tired of you already."

The young Jedi hung his head in defeat with a long sigh. "I'll do it." Then he looked up into those predatory grey eyes. "But not for you. Not even for Mandalore. Only for Satine."

Digenbrow laughed, clapping his hands. "I don't care who or what you do anything for! Just as long as you obey  _ me _ ." He grinned down at Obi-Wan, enjoying his victory, his power. It was disgusting. "You will not tell the duchess or anyone else about any of this. You will not even tell her that you plan to fight at all. Lie to her if you have to. And remember," The general paused in the doorway, glancing back at the Padawan. "every single person here is watching you. The Mandalorians in armor. The nurses and the cooks. The security cameras that you can't see. And me." He had the gall to wink at Obi-Wan before leaving him alone in the dining room. "Enjoy your stay!"

The man was a psychopath. All smiles and charm one second, and then he was all murder and threats. Obi-Wan felt utterly doomed.

Eventually, he found his way to Satine's room downstairs, which was underground. He knocked on the metal door, and it slid open to reveal the duchess combing her hair. Her room was nice, but simple, with cabinets and drawers flanking a desk and a white bed on the back wall. 

The young Jedi crossed the threshold and sat next to Satine on her bed before gently taking the brush from her. He started combing through her long locks of golden hair, and neither of them said a word.

"Satine," he finally murmured. "Why did you not tell me about Digenbrow?"

She seemed to slump a little bit. "Well, at first, it wasn't really a big deal. The two of us have been destined to get married ever since my parents died. And when he proposed to me, I had no intention of marrying any time soon, even though I said yes." Satine glanced up at Obi-Wan, but quickly turned away. "Then, you and I kissed... and I didn't want  _ Rolf _ to ruin it." Something in Obi-Wan reveled in the way she spat his name with such revulsion.

Finally, Satine turned to fully meet the Padawan's gaze. "I promise, I had no idea he was the new general. Honestly, it surprised me. I suppose a lot of things have changed since I left Mandalore." She laughed softly. "It's almost been a year."

"The best year of my life," Obi-Wan whispered in her ear.

The duchess giggled, but then she suddenly became serious once more. "Obi, please tell me that you won't fight in this war. They can win without you. You don't need to engage in all this violence."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, and his heart almost felt as if it were actually in pain.

"Obi?" Satine placed her small hand on his chest.

He didn't want to lie to her. He didn't want to betray her. But above all, the Padawan did not want his darling duchess to die.

"I won't," he rasped, his eyes flashing open. "I won't fight." His chest had never hurt this badly before. It felt so tight, as if someone were unraveling his insides and taking him apart.

"Promise me," Satine pleaded, caressing his cheek. "Swear to me that you won't go out to the front lines. That you won't use your lightsaber to slaughter my people."

Obi-Wan tentatively placed his hand upon hers, and his eyelids shuttered closed. He could not possibly lie to Satine while gazing into her beautiful, blue eyes. "I promise," he forced out.

She released a sigh and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Obi. You don't know how much this means to me." Then she pressed her soft lips to his. "I love—"

"Shh..." the young Jedi insisted, holding up a finger. "We don't say that word."

Satine smiled. "One last time, then." They spoke those words to each other every day, all the time. They probably didn't mean much to the duchess in this moment, but the Padawan knew they rang true this time.

Obi-Wan had to hold back his tears before they could spill out of his eyes. "One last time, my dear duchess..."


	22. Twenty Two

"Mm..." Satine mumbled, rolling over in bed. "Obi, I'm cold." She clumsily reached out and felt all around, but the only things her fingers met were silk sheets and plush pillows. "Obi?"

Her eyes flashed open then, and she took in the empty space next to her. She had fallen asleep in the Padawan's arms.  _ Where was he now? _ She shook her head, slipping out of the bed. He was probably just relieving himself, or maybe he went to change his clothes.

Satine yawned and threw open the doors to her closet, excited to see several beautiful outfits awaiting her. She pulled out a light purple gown embroidered with intricate silver patterns, and placed a stunning silver headpiece over her forehead.

The duchess smiled at herself in the big mirror on the wall. She was hoping to talk to her people today, so she had to look her best.

"Ah, Satine." She jumped when she saw Rolf's reflection in her mirror. He was still wearing that dark blue armor, and he was leaning against her doorway. "Looking lovely, as always."

She slowly inhaled and exhaled, trying to compose herself. "Thank you, General," she finally forced out. Then the duchess walked over to him and stood a few feet away. "Do you know where Obi-Wan is?"

Rolf's lips seemed to twitch upward before he coughed into his big hand. "No, I don't. But I'm sure we can find him later. Right now, I'd like to give you a tour of my base." He grinned down at her, and Satine had to try not to gag. "Walk with me?"

The duchess took his arm, and they began their dreadful journey to the elevator. She regretted saying yes to his proposal every day, but she hadn't really had a choice in the matter. It had technically been an arranged marriage since Satine was born. Rolf's father had been powerful and loyal to Satine's parents, so they had agreed that she and Digenbrow would make a perfect match. All of the senators and nobles still supported a marriage between the two, so Satine had known it was best to say yes more than a year ago. But most importantly, she had just wanted to honor her dead parents by marrying the man they had intended for her.

Rolf had never really been that bad. However, it seemed like he had changed for the worse over the past year. "What are you thinking about, Satine?" he inquired as they stepped into the elevator.

"Nothing much," she replied. She doubted he would like the real answer. "I'd like to talk to the Mandalorian citizens today. Maybe give them some hope—"

"No," Rolf interrupted, holding up a finger. "We must keep you safe. I would never recover if someone were to assassinate you during one of your fruitless outings."

"I—"

" _ And _ it's not just that, my duchess." They exited the elevator and entered the main room inside of the base, where the black throne sat in front of them. "It is dangerous for other reasons, too. There are explosions and blasts and guns and—"

"Do you think I don't know that?" Satine hissed, swiping a hand through the air. Something in Rolf's demeanor changed then, and the duchess cringed. She turned it into a sheepish smile. "I'm so terribly sorry, Rolf. I'm afraid I'm a bit cranky, seeing as I did not sleep so well last night." She hated acting like this for him, but if Satine wanted him to bend to her every command, she had to get on the general's good side.

Rolf relaxed just a tiny bit and bopped her on the nose. She liked it better when Obi-Wan did it. "It's quite alright, Satine. You will learn how to behave soon."  _ Ooo, that made her want to punch him in the face. _ She clasped hands with him instead.

"With your help, of course," she simpered. If Rolf began to trust her and believe that she was competent, maybe Satine would have the chance to speak to her people.

"I'm afraid I have to share some terrible news with you, Satine," the general sighed as a door slid open to reveal a balcony overlooking the woods. The door closed behind the two, and they stood next to each other by the railing. The sky was cloudy today, casting the whole world in grey. "The Padawan decided to fight."

Something inside of Satine seemed to leap out of her and jump off of the balcony. "What?" she gasped.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi..." Rolf turned to the duchess and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He is fighting right now, right as we speak."

Satine was shivering, although she was not cold.  _ Obi-Wan wouldn't do that to her, would he? Would he break a promise? _ She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"See for yourself..." Rolf pulled out a small disk and pressed a button, revealing a flickering, blue hologram. It was Obi-Wan, but he wasn't changing his clothes and he wasn't on the toilet. He was on the front lines with his lightsaber, slashing it right and left.

"No," Satine whimpered, tears welling in her eyes. "It can't be. He promised me..." Rolf gently handed the hologram to her, and she held it in shaking hands. She took in the Padawan's braid and his robes, fitted perfectly to his figure. Then she noticed the pained look on his face.  _ Was he hurt? Had he been shot? _ But Satine couldn't see any wounds. 

Suddenly, a wave of anger and disbelief washed over her. "This is fake. This is not real!" She turned off the hologram and shoved it into Rolf's hands. "Obi-Wan would never—"

"Satine." Her betrothed set the device down and held her face with both of his hands. "Do not be in denial. Do not lie to yourself. You can look everywhere, and you will not find the Jedi because he is not here."

"I will!" The duchess wrenched away from the general and angrily wiped away her tears. Were they angry tears? Sorrowful tears? It didn't matter. All that mattered was finding her Padawan. "I will search this whole base, and I will find him!" She marched back inside and began her search, starting in the biggest room and then running into the dining room.

There was no order or pattern when it came to Satine's endeavor. There was no strategy or reason. It was simply panic that drove the duchess. Fear.

It took her the whole day to search the entire place. She had sprinted through hallways and ducked into janitors' closets. Stumbled through the woods and barged into other Mandalorian bedrooms. But Obi-Wan Kenobi was no where to be found.


	23. Twenty Three

They had been fighting for a week, and every day, Obi-Wan was in more pain. His wounds from the blasts and lasers didn't bother him—instead it was the mental ache that tore the Padawan apart.

All he could think about was how he had betrayed Satine Kryze. Deep down, he knew he did it  _ for _ her, but his brain and his heart seemed to ignore that part. Deep down, Obi-Wan knew that it would have been selfish to stay with Satine at the base, to value their relationship over Satine's life. Yet he still cried every night because he knew that his duchess would never accept him after he fought.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been split up so that they couldn't be attacked at one time in the same place. The Padawan was on the east side of the capital city and Qui-Gon was on the west side. The plan was to push the Old Mandalorians back until they were trapped between the New Mandalorians, and it was working quite well.

Ever since the two Jedi joined the New Mandalorians, the civil war had progressed swiftly. Previously, the New Mandalorians had barely been in the lead, but now they were winning by a landslide. Unfortunately, the Old Mandalorians still refused to surrender. 

Obi-Wan just wanted it all to end. He was tired of being away from Satine. Tired of obeying General Digenbrow's orders as he sat all nice and cozy at the base with the duchess. And the Padawan was exhausted of all the deception. It was obvious that the captured Old Mandalorians were not being treated with care when they arrived at the underground prison, even though everyone insisted the opposite. They were probably being murdered instead.

Most of the soldiers and New Mandalorians that Obi-Wan fought with seemed alright. None of them were absolutely awful like Rolf, but they didn't seem to realize that they were practically servants and slaves. Mindless robots bending to the general's will. They believed in peace, yet they were unnecessarily murdering Old Mandalorians when they could simply be exiled or locked up until a better solution presented itself.

Obi-Wan wished that solution would come a lot faster as a bomb was hurled at him. "Look out!" he roared before launching the bomb into the air with the Force, where it exploded with a loud  _ BOOM. _

"Thanks, Jedi!" a woman with a jet pack grunted above him as she fired off a few shots.

"My pleasure," the Padawan replied. Then he dragged an unconscious Old Mandalorian behind him to be picked up and taken to the  _ prison _ .

This was how his day went every day now. Slash his lightsaber around, save some soldiers from a bomb or two, and dump off some unfortunate Old Mandalorians. Obi-Wan hated it.

And he continued to loathe all of the fighting for the next two days.

"Why aren't they surrendering?" a scrawny New Mandalorian named Lonan groaned. Over the past couple of days, the New Mandalorians had trapped their enemies in the middle of the capital, right where Satine's old palace had been destroyed. It still wasn't rebuilt.

Now, there were still thousands of New Mandalorians and only hundreds of Old Mandalorians. So why weren't they surrendering?

Suddenly, a huge hologram appeared in the sky above the Old Mandalorians.  _ Their leader _ , Obi-Wan realized. He had an average build and appeared to be around forty, old enough to remember the Old Mandalorian ways. He had a huge scar running along his jaw to prove it.

"New Mandalorians!" the speaker boomed. "We have one of your Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn." The Padawan's eyes widened. "If you do not want him to die, you must surrender!" Then the hologram flickered to reveal his Master, clearly bruised and wounded badly.  _ No _ .

The soldiers around Obi-Wan came alive with chatter.

"What should we do?"

"We need that Jedi."

"No, we don't! We still have the other Jedi!"

"We can't just let him die!"

Obi-Wan pushed through the crowd until he saw the clump of red armor near the rubble of the old palace. "Hello there!" he shouted. The New Mandalorians grew silent.

But many of the Old Mandalorians turned to look and raised their guns. "Stay back!"

"Do not take another step!"

"Surrender or die!"

Obi-Wan smiled and slowly raised his hands. "I do not intend to harm you. I simply wish to speak to your leader."

The Old Mandalorians shuffled around a bit and whispered to each other before their general emerged from the crowd. "What do you want, Jedi?" he snarled. The Padawan stuck a finger in his ear. The two were several feet apart, but goodness, this man was loud.

"I'd like to turn myself in," Obi-Wan stated. He really didn't know what he was doing. He just hoped Qui-Gon had a plan when they reunited.

"No!" The New Mandalorians behind him bellowed.

The general before him rubbed his bald head. "What kind of Jedi trickery is this?"

The Padawan stepped closer. "No lies, I promise." He really needed to stop vowing about important things when he had every intention to break those vows. "Let me turn myself in; let my Master live, but do not make the New Mandalorians surrender."

The scar on the man's face curled when he grinned. "Alright, little Jedi. I like to fight anyway." The Old Mandalorians behind him started chortling and giggling.  _ Wow _ , Obi-Wan thought.  _ They really  _ are _ warriors. _ Even thought these men and women were greatly outnumbered, they thought they had a chance now.

The Jedi made his way toward the soldiers in red armor as the New Mandalorians cried out behind him. He did not look back.

Obi-Wan kept his face calm and his movements graceful as he moved thought the crowd, but inside, he was screaming.  _ Was Qui-Gon okay? How had they captured him? What—? _

"Hello, my young Padawan," his Master coughed. 

"Master Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan gave up all pretenses and raced toward the older Jedi kneeling on the ground. Two Old Mandalorians were holding him up none too gently. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine," he responded with an impish smile, blood trickling down his forehead. "But the Old Mandalorians don't know that." The young Jedi nervously glanced up at his captors. "Don't worry, Obi-Wan. I used a little mind trick on them. They won't be telling on us."

The Padawan nodded. He wished  _ all _ of the Mandalorians' minds were weak enough to use Jedi tricks on. "So, what's the plan, Master?"

Qui-Gon chuckled. "The usual." Then he twisted in the arms of the Old Mandalorians before pushing out with the Force, sending several soldiers flying. Obi-Wan followed his lead and whipped out his blue lightsaber to slash through guns and staffs and jet packs.

"Hey!" one of the Mandalorians complained before he was thrown into one of his companions.

"Get them!" someone screamed.

"You go east, I'll go west!" Qui-Gon shouted over the sudden gunfire, jumping on top of the Mandalorians' heads.

"Ow!" they shrieked and tried to shoot at the Jedi, but they were much too fast as they hopped from one Mandalorian's head to the next. And when they tried to activate their jet packs, the Jedi just slashed through them before they could get in the air.

Eventually, Obi-Wan reached the New Mandalorians and turned to face the onslaught of Old Mandalorians barreling towards him in the air. "Stop!" the Padawan demanded, holding them in place in the middle of the sky with the Force. He had to assume that Qui-Gon was doing the same on the other side. "Surrender right now. I do not want any more of you to die!  _ Duchess Satine _ does not want you to die in this worthless war!"

"Never!" a big man yelled, wriggling up in the air. So Obi-Wan closed his eyes and clenched his fist, crushing the jet pack. The man screamed as he fell to the concrete.

Then the giant hologram sprouted up again. "We surrender!" their leader growled, a scowl on his face. In the blue hologram, Qui-Gon had a lightsaber pointed at his throat. "We can see that you Jedi are not to be trifled with. We will leave Mandalore." Cheers erupted from the New Mandalorians, and Obi-Wan beamed.  _ He could finally get back to Satine. _

The Padawan raced across the city, not even thinking to hop on a speeder. Buildings were burning all around him and giant holes had appeared in countless walls, but Obi-Wan didn't care. All he could think about was his duchess.  _ Was she safe? Had Rolf done something to her, even though Obi-Wan had agreed to fight? _

Finally, he tore through the doors of the base and burst into Satine's quarters. "Satine—!"

Obi-Wan froze, and so did the duchess and the general, who were very close to each other on a plush couch, a cozy fire crackling beside them.


	24. Twenty Four

Satine's heart cracked to see her Padawan look so shocked and hurt, but she could not afford to let old feelings get in the way. He had betrayed her.

Rolf glanced between the Jedi and the duchess, and he chuckled. "I'll leave you to it. I have business to attend to anyway." Then he got up and the steel door slid shut behind him, locking Satine in the room. Alone with Obi-Wan.

She didn't know how to feel. She had been so fond of the young Jedi for such a long time. It didn't feel right to harbor hate for him. She would not let her confusion reveal itself though, so she glared at Obi-Wan when he took a step forward.

His white robes were ripped and covered in soot and dirt. Some tiny part of her wanted to strip those robes away, help the Padawan get cleaned up. Satine ignored those impulses and clenched her fists.

"Satine..." Obi-Wan shuffled to her, and the duchess stiffened. "I... are you mad at me?"

Was he serious? Of all the things he could have asked or said, of course the most stupid question came out of his mouth! "Am I mad?" Satine leaped off of the couch. " _ Am I mad? _ Yes! You know how much I hate this war. How much I didn't want you to get involved. And you  _ promised _ me that you wouldn't fight, but you did!"

Obi-Wan's face crumpled. "You don't understand!" he hissed. "Rolf threatened me. He threatened you behind your back!" The Padawan started pacing and tearing his hands through his golden hair. "He told me that if I didn't fight, he would kill you! And he told me that if I ratted him out—"

"No!" Satine screamed, tears appearing in her eyes. She was surprised, scared, but she refused to believe that Obi-Wan was telling the truth. "Those are lies! Rolf has shown me that he has changed over the past week! He would never do that!"  _ Would he? _

The young Jedi before her seemed to still, and he looked deep into her eyes. "I have only ever lied to you once, Satine, and I did it to save your life." She blinked up at him, but then her anger and grief flooded back in.

"Well Rolf told me that nothing between us was real! You told him that you never truly cared for me. That's what he said! That I was just a distraction for you!" The tears had escaped now, and they were chasing each other down her red cheeks.

There were tears rolling down Obi-Wan's face as well, but they were silent tears. He was not shouting and stomping about like Satine. He was calm and composed just like he always was, her solid rock, her tree trunk. And although he seemed serene, the duchess could tell that something inside of him had broken.

The Padawan closed the distance between them, but he did not touch her. "Do you love him?" he whispered. She could not stand the shattered look in his blue eyes, so she glowered at the floor.

"No," she rasped. Then she forced herself to look into his eyes, forced herself to endure the pain. "No. But I do not dislike him, not anymore. He has been kind to me, and he has shown me that people can change. We have spent so much time together, planning for the renovation of Mandalore and just sharing simple small talk. At first, I had to put on an act, a facade. Then, one day, I realized I wasn't pretending. I was laughing with Rolf because I was genuinely enjoying his company. I believe he truly cares for me..." It took everything in her to force out the words. "unlike you."

Obi-Wan flinched as if she had slapped him. "Satine, I'm glad your happy, but I never told Rolf that you were simply a distraction." His words slowly got faster and more panicked. "I never told him any of those things! You are more important to me than anything and anyone, Satine!" He shuddered, and took a deep breath. "You are my galaxy, my dear duchess." He hesitantly lifted his hand to cup her cheek. She let him. "I love y—"

" _ No! _ " Satine yelled, a huge wave of fear and sorrow and anger washing over her. "Do not say that word! You once told me not to say it, so you don't speak of it either! It will only make it harder. Harder than it already is!" She had never felt so wounded, and she had never seen Obi-Wan look so broken. She hated it.

The Duchess of Mandalore wanted to comfort him, wanted to press her lips to his. She wanted to push him away and banish him from her planet. But before she could do anything, a loud  _ BOOM _ shook the building and knocked her off of her feet.


	25. Twenty Five

"Satine!" Obi-Wan sprang to his feet and rushed over to her. "Are you alrigh—"

"I'm fine!" she shouted, inching away from him. "Just go."

The Padawan wanted to stay and hold her close to him. He wanted to forget about the way she had replaced him with Rolf, maybe even forget about the duchess herself. But he shook his head and rushed down the hall before he could let his emotions take over.

There was chaos everywhere. New Mandalorians were screaming and yelling orders while flying all around. Obi-Wan crammed himself into the elevator with several other Mandalorians, and they poured out into the main room of the base.

The young Jedi's blue eyes widened when he saw the gaping hole in the side of the building and the Old Mandalorians jumping through it. There had to be about fifty of them in the room, shooting blasters and throwing punches and swinging staffs. However, their leader did not appear to be with this group. These Old Mandalorians had gone rogue.

Obi-Wan was about to charge into the fight when he saw a Mandalorian in red armor creep up behind General Digenbrow. "Look out!" the Padawan warned, but it was too late. The Old Mandalorian pulled the trigger after sticking the gun between the plates of Rolf's armor, and the blast left a singing hole in his neck. The general seemed to gaze deep into Obi-Wan's eyes before falling over in a lifeless heap.

The Padawan wanted to help him, even though Rolf had done terrible things, even though there was no way he could be brought back to life. Instead, Obi-Wan whipped out his lightsaber and brought two Mandalorians to him with the Force before slashing through their jet packs. He was about to repeat the same movement when someone shot his lightsaber out of his hand.

He yelped and pushed back with the Force, but two Old Mandalorians grabbed his arms from behind him. "We've got you now, Jedi," one of them growled.

He chuckled nervously. "Oh, can't we be civilized? How about a cup of tea?"

"I would personally love a cup of tea," said a familiar voice, and the Mandalorians around Obi-Wan were suddenly thrown against a wall with a loud  _ CRACK _ . 

"Qui-Gon!" the young Jedi beamed before bringing his lightsaber back to him. 

"My young Padawan," his Master nodded as he deflected a blast behind him. "Let's end this."

The two got to work, falling in sync with the New Mandalorians all around them. It was only a few minutes before the last Old Mandalorian had fallen to the floor, seeing as the blue army had two Jedi and many more soldiers on their side.

Some of the New Mandalorians cheered, tossing their helmets into the air, but most people didn't really know what to do. Their general was dead.

"Ahem." Everyone turned to look up at the black throne that had been split down the middle. Satine, with her tear-stained cheeks and mused hair, had somehow slipped up there without being noticed, and now she picked up a tattered flag off of the floor. It was a Mandalorian flag. "Let us rebuild Mandalore," she declared before thrusting the flag into the air.

And that is what they did.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stayed on Mandalore for a little longer than a month to help rebuild and make sure that the Old Mandalorians stayed away. Some of them gave in and left behind their old warrior ways, and others didn't. Some New Mandalorians—mostly the ones who had been closest to Digenbrow—abandoned the new Mandalore and left with the Old Mandalorians. Obi-Wan had been worried about the general's closest soldiers, but they didn't harm anyone; they just left quietly.

Before they started any real construction, a funeral was held for Rolf. Obi-Wan wasn't necessarily sorrowful because Digenbrow was gone. However, it saddened him when Satine cried for him and collapsed on his grave. It hurt the Padawan because he could not comfort her the way he could have done only weeks ago.

Their relationship had changed drastically. Satine barely talked to Obi-Wan and he rarely ever spoke to her. And when they  _ did _ exchange words, it was about business only, often involving an argument. Sometimes the young Jedi would laugh bitterly. It was just like when they first met. All of those walks through the woods, all of those life-threatening adventures and dances under the moonlight meant nothing. It was almost as if none of it had ever happened.

But at the same time, there  _ was _ something between them still. It was so painful though, so fragile, that neither of them attempted to tamper with it. 

Obi-Wan was just so confused. He didn't know what Satine had done with General Digenbrow during the week they were alone with each other. And it poked and prodded at him all the time. Had they kissed? Hugged? Merely flirted? It didn't matter because it still stung, and Obi-Wan knew it would make him a terrible person to approach the duchess about it. Rolf had just died, for goodness sake.

His death did not stop the Duchess of Mandalore from being amazing though. She suffered through long meetings and longer parades in the cities, boosting morale and doing everything she could for her people. Obi-Wan wished he could do all of that with her, but he mostly stayed behind. The Padawan and his Master helped construct a new palace for the duchess, right on top of the old one. And they aided in the repairs of all the destroyed towers, bridges, and other buildings, as well.

At night, Obi-Wan would collapse onto his plush bed in one of the guest bedrooms at the new palace. And before the palace had been built, he would throw himself onto a tiny mattress in an apartment nearby. He had lost count of how many times he had turned over and reached for Satine, only to find she wasn't there.

Did she do the same thing? Did she miss Obi-Wan as much as he missed her? He supposed he might find out when he said goodbye to Satine today. He and Qui-Gon were finally leaving Mandalore.

They arrived at the humongous door and Obi-Wan took in a deep breath, using the beautiful scenery around him to distract him from his thoughts. The new royal palace was made up of intricate steal and glass, which allowed for the sunlight to filter in and illuminate the light blue walls and big chandeliers. It was incredible.

Obi-Wan dusted off his pristine white robes and ran his hands through his perfect golden hair before the doors opened to reveal the Duchess of Mandalore in all her glory, perched on her silver throne in front of a gorgeous golden pattern on the wall. She was dressed up in a lovely teal gown that showed off her figure and had blue shells dangling beside her defined cheekbones. Her long, blond hair had been tied up and wrapped in a complicated headdress. In other words, she looked absolutely beautiful.

She stood. "Master Qui-Gon Jinn." She hesitated. "Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Good morning, Duchess Satine," the older Jedi greeted with a shallow bow. "The palace looks amazing."

"Thanks to you," she replied with a tight smile.

"It was our pleasure," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan hated this.  _ Why did they have to be so formal? _ he thought.  _ They had all known each other for about a year! They should be hugging and laughing, not bowing and acting like senators.  _ "And since our work is done, I believe it is time for my Padawan and I to leave."

Satine nodded. "If that is what you wish." Then she took a small step forward, avoiding eye contact with Obi-Wan. "I am so grateful for everything you have done for me and for Mandalore. Thank you."

Qui-Gon smiled. Obi-Wan knew that his Master was aware of how he had betrayed the duchess, but the older Jedi had never promised that he wouldn't fight. So it wasn't so personal, so painful. "You are very welcome, Duchess Satine. I hope Mandalore treats you with kindness, and I pray that your reign will be long-lasting." Then Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan and squeezed his shoulder. "I'll be waiting outside."

Once the doors shut behind his Master, Satine stiffened. "Guards, leave us." The guards flanking her throne exited the room, leaving the Padawan and the duchess alone.

Obi-Wan was sweating, almost shaking.  _ What should he say? _ He had rehearsed this moment hundreds of times, but he couldn't think of anything to say now. He gulped. "Hello, Satine."

She frowned. "We have already greeted each other, Padawan." Obi-Wan flinched. He remembered a time when conversation came easy to them, almost like breathing. A time when  _ Padawan _ was an endearment term, not a detached alias. The young Jedi tugged on his braid anxiously.

"Satine, please don't call me that. It doesn't have to be this way between us." The duchess said nothing.  _ Come on, Obi-Wan! Think of something! _ "I... um..." He just stood there, at a loss for words, shuffling his feet. Then he knew what he wanted to say. "Do... do you remember when we had to run away from that bar in a speeder, and then you crashed it?" Satine cringed, and Obi-Wan mentally slapped himself. Maybe not the best thing to say. "Do you recall fixing me up with bandages after I got all that metal stuck in my back?" The Padawan laughed lightly. "That was the first time we were ever nice to each other... Oh! And when we left you at Jabba's palace, but then we came back for you? Do you remember that?"

The duchess now looked confused. "Yes?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "And when we stayed on Tatooine and we trained together. I remember that. What about the Jawas? When they stole our speeders and you had to use your  _ duchess skills _ to get  _ Garbage! _ Do you remember  _ Garbage?" _

Satine rolled her eyes. "What is the point of this?"

The young Jedi finally calmed down and took a step closer. "The point is, even if we never see each other again, even if you marry some great man and have lots of lovely children, I want you to remember all those moments. I don't want you to ever forget about when we traded  _ Garbage  _ for  _ Darling _ . When we danced under the moonlight on Draboon and ran away from venom-mites and—"

"And when you dropped me and gave me a scar?" There was a tiny, sad smile on Satine's face now. 

Obi-Wan smiled back. It hurt. "Yes. I want you to remember that, too. But maybe remember our first kiss more than that..." 

Satine sighed and closed the distance between them. "Obi-Wan, there is nothing left to be said." She gently placed his hand into her cold palm. "There will be no more  _ one last times," _ she whispered.

The Padawan closed his eyes and let a single tear escape. He may be scared and embarrassed and in so much excruciating pain, but he was not ashamed about his feelings for Satine. The Duchess of Mandalore was worth crying for. "I know, my dear."

"Goodbye, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Satine murmured, slipping her hand out of his.

The Padawan snatched her hand back and planted a kiss on the back of it. "Goodbye, Satine Kryze." He let go and started backing away. "But know that we shall see each other again."

Even though Obi-Wan was sad, he could still be charming.

He turned his back on his darling duchess and strutted toward the giant doors, looking back one last time. Were those tears in Satine's blue eyes? He slowly shook his head. Obi-Wan doubted the duchess would spare her tears for him anymore.

The heavy doors slammed shut behind the Padawan.


	26. Twenty Six

The Duchess of Mandalore burst into tears, her shoulders shaking violently. It had been  _ so hard _ not to run into Obi-Wan's arms and press her lips to his, so difficult to hold back her tears.

Now she let them flow. She let them flood as she wailed. Satine wanted to drown in the throne room, drown in her tears for her Padawan, but she did not. She tore through her brand new corridors and hid her face from the servants and guards.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

"What happened, Duchess Satine?"

She ignored them all until she finally reached her giant room, and then she collapsed onto her big bed, fit for a queen. Satine did not feel like royalty, though.

She hurriedly grasped around the edge of her bed, looking for the hidden compartment. When her hands located the notch, she wrenched it open and pulled out a jar. There was a purple flower within, casting a lovely glow onto Satine's face.

The tears came even harder now as she opened the jar with shaking hands and pressed the flower to her chest. "Obi-Wan..." she gasped. There was no response. The duchess was alone.

She should have told him that she forgave him, that she understood why he had fought. Maybe he would still be here, lying next to her. But it was for the best.

Satine was done with dreaming up dreams that would never come true. Done with creating crazy delusions in which her Padawan sat on a throne beside her. He had his duties as a Jedi, and she had her obligation as a duchess.

She remembered when Obi-Wan had taught her how to use a blaster and when he had created a ballroom for her in the jungle on Draboon. The young Jedi didn't know it, but Satine had decorated her new ballroom with the same magical flowers, just as she had placed one in her special jar. Obi-Wan had asked her to never forget their time together, and she wouldn't. She remembered everything.

The duchess also recalled what Obi-Wan had said to her so long ago. He had reminded her that they were not dreamers. They were leaders and examples for the galaxy, and he was right.

But there was just one thing that the Duchess of Mandalore allowed herself to dream about as she put her flower away and swiped at her tears before applying new makeup. Just one dream that she knew would come true.

She looked at herself in the mirror. "We shall see each other again, my dear Obi-Wan."


End file.
